


Second Home

by ChocolateSyrup



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Angst, Family, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:34:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22751065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateSyrup/pseuds/ChocolateSyrup
Summary: Sonic doesn't realize it at first, but something wet starts trickling down his cheeks. He hasn't thought about that day in a long time, and now it's all coming back. "I know I can trust everyone, especially Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady. I really wish you could meet them."
Relationships: Sonic the Hedgehog & Longclaw, Sonic the Hedgehog & Maddie Wachowski, Sonic the Hedgehog & Tom Wachowski
Comments: 155
Kudos: 603





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First things first: I was never really a Sonic fan. I have never played the games and know next to nothing about him, but this idea just came to me and I really wanted to write at least the first chapter. What better way to do that than by using a character that has never been in Sonic before (from what I've heard about Longclaw, please correct me if I'm wrong)
> 
> Anyway, you've been warned. This story is not being written by someone who knows Sonic that well, but I'll do my best! I really loved the movie.

It's very... _weird_ now that everyone in Green Hills knows he exists. He doesn't have to hide anymore, not even from Crazy Carl. He can run to his heart's content and no one would think anything strange of it. Being seen by the people he's been spying on for so long is especially weird, but they accept him. They accept him for who he is, and he doesn't have to hide any longer.

Sometimes he misses the days of sneaking around Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady's house and watching TV behind their backs on family movie night.

Sometimes he misses messing around with Crazy Observant Carl, the only one who really believed that he was out there.

Sometimes he misses having the whole town to 'himself' and just watching everyone go about their daily lives.

But most of all, he doesn't think he's ever been this happy in the entire time he spent his life on Earth.

He has a home, he has friends, he has a...

What _are_ Tom and Maddie, now? Are they really just friends or something _more?_ They took him in and gave him his own room to stay in, even going so far as to visit his old cave and bring all of his stuff back. He can finally, really join in on family movie night. But is he really a part of the _family_ now...?

"Ready to go?" Tom asks, baseball cap placed atop his head as they both make their way towards the front door.

Sonic snaps himself out of it before Tom can notice. He has more important things to focus on, like spending quality time playing catch at the baseball field with Donut Lord. Maybe one day, he can actually play in the 'Little League' as Tom had called it. But for now, they're just playing it safe and laying low until the government hopefully forgets about him. Which probably isn't going to be anytime soon, unfortunately...he's positive the baseball team would keep quiet about him, but Tom isn't so sure even though most of the town knows about his existence now. It's probably best not to draw too much attention to himself by playing a game some government official could sneak to and watch in the background.

Even so, it still feels very _strange._ Like he'd really been invisible the whole time and now the hedgehog is suddenly out of the bag.

At least Eggman is out of the way so he can finally have some peace and quiet.

"You know it!" he shouts eagerly. Maybe not _all_ peace and quiet.

"Have fun, you two," Maddie calls from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready by the time you get back."

"What are we having?" Sonic asks eagerly. Maddie always makes the best dinners! And also breakfast and lunch. Even _brunch._ Better than Tom, but of course he's not going to tell him that.

"Chili dogs," Maddie responds with a wink, and Tom groans. He'd told her what happened on the road and he's regretted doing so ever since.

"You know me so well," Sonic says, a grin of his own spreading. "See ya!"

Ozzy barks, refusing to let him pass until he gets a lick on the face. Even though he still doesn't really appreciate being slobbered all over, he might actually be getting along with Tom's _second_ best animal friend.

He leaps into Maddie's sister's car that they're still 'borrowing' since Donut Lord's truck is long gone and not coming back anytime soon. Her sister actually agrees with it, at least for the time being. Just until they find a new car, which she had threatened better be soon or _else_ and that she better not find any hedgehog hair in it when she gets it back.

Sonic sighs. He still has to work on her.

 _Have fun,_ Maddie's words echo again at him.

Oh yeah, it's _much_ more fun than playing baseball by himself or with 'that guy' that he just can't with.

It's...nice. After all that time he spent alone in the cave, of running from everyone...it's like he's finally running _to_ them, instead. Just like he'd done with Eggman to defeat him. Everyone in town is a friend he can _trust,_ so unlike what Longclaw had warned him about before she...

Though he can't stop a small sliver of doubt that threatens to catch up to him.

He might have finally found a place where he belongs. But is it too good to be true? Some days, he's afraid he'll wake up and Tom will be gone, out of his life for good. Maybe he'd dreamed the whole family road trip, possibly even his whole life on Earth. Every day that he wakes up and finds himself still here, he's grateful. He's grateful for every day that he doesn't have to be forced to run away through a ring to the Mushroom Planet along with Eggman.

Tom starts up the car and Sonic sits back to relax in the passenger seat. He still hasn't been allowed to drive since the Eggman incident.

He knows where the field is, he can just run there and beat him to it. He can run _anywhere_ without Tom's help as long as he knows where to go, but he actually enjoys the car rides. He enjoys...just being with Tom and Maddie. They make him laugh, he makes them laugh. They've really hit it off, and he's forever grateful for the room that they had given to him; a room of his very own and not a lonely cave.

If it hadn't been for _her_ and her sacrifice, he never would have found Tom and Maddie. She might have warned him to never stop running and never be discovered because of his great power, but it's the best thing that's ever happened to him.

"Thank you..." he whispers to himself, staring out the window at the quiet night life breezing by. Sonic doesn't realize it at first, but something wet starts trickling down his cheeks. He hasn't thought about that day in a long time, and now it's all coming back. "I know I can trust everyone, especially Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady. I really wish you could meet them."

"What?" Tom's voice brings him back. Shoot, he must have heard him mumbling to himself.

"Just...thanks," he backtracks quickly. "For driving me to the field even if you never really have to." He wills himself to believe it's what he really means and that he hadn't just made it up so Tom won't worry.

Thankfully, it works. Tom just rolls his eyes.

"Anytime, kid. You know I love my job as a taxi driver more than an officer."

Sonic brightens, grinning at the road ahead. Donut Lord is being sarcastic like always, but he can tell that he actually means it.

It might not have started out that way, especially not on their 'family road trip,' but now it's something they both enjoy doing for old time's sake. It's even better now that no one is trying trying to go after them so they can take in the moment.

Does Tom _really_ mean it, though? Is all of this really too good to be true?

Sonic's smile fades, and he turns his attention back to the outside of the car window so Donut Lord doesn't see.

xxxx

He loves how the baseball field looks at night. The bright lights, the empty stands so he can picture the crowd cheering him on...it might not be the same as a real crowd, but he's more than content now just playing catch with Tom.

"Are you gonna throw the ball or what, Donut Lord?" he shouts, his impatience getting the better of him.

"Alright, alright, Blue Devil," Tom says with a nod, rolling his eyes and preparing to pitch.

Sonic concentrates, gripping the bat tightly and readying himself. He prepares as much energy as he can to run around the bases...but not _too_ fast to cause another power outage, he has to remind himself. They don't need someone _other_ than Eggman chasing after him again.

The baseball stands might still be empty, but his heart isn't.

Donut Lord doesn't even have the chance to pitch the ball. The stadium lights flicker, and wind picks up speed which is odd because it had just been a nice, cool breeze before now...

"Don't go out, don't go out, don't go out," Sonic whispers frantically to the lights.

They don't listen.

 _Great._ Just what they need: another power outage to alert the government once again.

The baseball field is suddenly pitch black, except for a golden circle opening up in between himself and Tom.

An all too _familiar_ golden circle...

It opens up without warning, swirling until it forms completely in front of him.

"A portal...?" he whispers in disbelief, eyes widening. Tom's are probably ten times bigger.

Sonic doesn't understand. He'd brought all the rings back with him from his home world, hadn't he? He'd managed to get them back from the top of that building, right? Right?!

Is it Eggman?! He'd made _sure_ that the madman didn't have any rings of his own. It doesn't look anything like Mushroom Planet. He doesn't recognize this world at _all._ It's just a blank, glowy-white space.

Honestly, Tom isn't the least bit surprised that another weird circle portal thing has just opened up in the baseball field. He'd met a blue alien hedgehog, a crazy government scientist guy and survived falling off of an extremely tall building. Portals opening up anywhere in town, even his own house can be considered commonplace by now.

Sonic readies himself for whatever or whoever the portal might send through, calling upon the same power he'd felt when he stood up against Eggman. It crackles inside, eager to come forward. 

_Not yet,_ he encourages himself to hold back.

Except what he and Tom _don't_ really expect at all is a creature that stumbles forward from the portal itself, standing unsteadily on two feet, err—talons? It manages to stand up, but only barely. Its wing is gently holding a side, signaling that it's more than likely in pain. The portal behind it vanishes into thin air.

Tom blinks, unsure of what he's seeing in the pitch dark now that the lights are out and the portal had disappeared. Sonic obligingly makes it easier to see by glowing bright blue without even needing to be asked, like he knows what he's thinking.

It's an...owl? Not like any owl he's ever seen, though. It's _huge._ This must be an _alien_ owl. Of _course_ it is.

Sonic can only stare, his eyes bigger and wider than they've ever been before. His mouth opens, but words aren't able to come out.

"S-stay away..." the owl growls out weakly. It sounds like she wants to say more, but isn't able to finish.

That voice. He hasn't heard it in years, but he _knows_ that voice. It can't be possible...

"Stay away from him..." the owl whispers roughly, her gaze landing on Donut Lord.

Sonic stands protectively in front of Tom in case she decides to try and attack, even in her weakened state. Slowly and carefully so as not to startle her, he raises his hands so she can see that he means no harm.

That _Tom_ means no harm.

"It's okay, he's my..."

Dad? Is that what he really is now? He doesn't know why, but he isn't _sure._ He knows one thing for sure: playing catch is something that a father and son do, right?

 _Friend,_ he corrects himself almost mournfully. Tom had called him his _friend._ That single word alone was enough to send power surging through him, enabling him to defeat Eggman once and for all.

Tom had also said to Eggman that Green Hills is his home. Later while showing him his new room, Maddie had said that their _home_ is his home.

But is he really a part of the _family?_

They can kick him out at any time they want. They really _should._ He'd caused so much damage in town and pushed them off of a building, which Donut Lord still hasn't forgiven him for and he _still_ can't make a promise that he won't do it again.

 _My dad the Donut Lord,_ he thinks to himself out of nowhere. Tom probably wouldn't like it.

Still.

It has a nice ring to it...

 _Ring._ Hah. He really cracks himself up sometimes.

He sighs to himself in frustration. What is he _thinking?_ They have a more important matter to focus on now!

Tom isn't sure what to think, his mind racing a mile a minute as if he's suddenly gained Sonic's power somehow. The weird thing is (or maybe _not_ so weird. He's so used to weird now, it's not even funny) is that Sonic actually seems to _know_ the owl, immediately running forward without any hesitation.

"Wait, what if it works for that crazy Robotnik guy—"

"It doesn't. And 'it' is a _she,"_ Sonic says with such firmness in his voice that Tom doesn't argue further. Sonic isn't even looking back at him. His full attention is on the owl in front of him.

Tom can't remember Sonic mentioning anyone else from his original planet, but he seems happy and _relieved_ to see her.

"Longclaw," Sonic breathes out softly in surprise, hardly believing his eyes. This can't be happening. It can't be, he thought she was—

"S-Sonic...?" she whispers out his name uncertainly, like she can't believe that _he's_ still alive, either. "You're...okay?"

He can no longer hold himself back.

Despite his speed, she collapses in a heap on the dirt before he can even reach her.

Alive. She's alive, but how? He _saw_ her get shot down. He remembers that day as if it happened _yesterday._ How did she survive? Does she have more rings? Obviously, if she just opened up a portal to get here to Earth. Or maybe someone else had a ring and accidentally sent her here. It seems more like an accident. Her wings are crumpled and bent in awkwardly painful positions, her feathers ruffled.

"What happened?" Sonic murmurs to himself, afraid to try and touch her to see if she wakes up. He doesn't want to hurt her any more than she already is.

He shakes his head to try and calm his racing thoughts that are almost too fast for even _him_ to handle, turning sharply back towards Tom.

"We have to help her. We have to get her to Pretzel Lady, make her wake up with that stinky salt stuff she used on me!"

"Whoa, whoa," Tom attempts to calm the panicking hedgehog down, kneeling next to him to make sure the owl is okay. She's not really _okay,_ but she's still breathing, which is a good sign. "Who is she?"

He doesn't know who the owl is or where she came from, but it seems like Sonic _does._ The blue hedgehog turns to him, his big eyes full of worry.

Sonic takes a deep breath. He had never called her the name before and she didn't even want him to. She had been more of a mentor than...that. But it refuses to be held back, his joy and relief and worry all rolling into one gigantic blue blur. He hasn't had the courage to tell Tom and Maddie about her yet, but now he might really have to.

"She's my mother."

Well, Tom definitely hadn't been expecting _that._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you for all the kudos, guys! I really appreciate it! :) Just so you know, I normally update on Thursdays or during the weekend. Maybe even sooner if inspiration strikes like today!

"She'll be okay, right? Right?!"

He's barely able to speak coherent words as Tom takes a limp Longclaw from his arms after sitting with her in his lap close to his chest on the ride back from the baseball field. Wrapped carefully in Tom's jacket, he'd sat horrified in the front seat as Donut Lord sped as fast as he could back home without breaking the law and risking another officer stopping them. Sonic himself was in no condition to try and _run_ home with Longclaw in his arms, his shock nearly getting the better of him.

Their baseball game unfortunately cut short and forgotten now, both he and Tom rush into the house.

Sonic reaches Maddie first, his racing mind still in a panicked, confused blur.

 _She's back, she's back._ But how? Maybe when she wakes up, he can ask her then. _If_ she wakes up, but he shakes that terrible thought away as he jumps up and down in front of a just-as-confused Pretzel Lady that he and Donut Lord are back so soon, still just about to prepare the chili dogs she'd said they were going to have.

Chili dogs are the _last_ thing on his mind right now.

"Y-you have to help her," he begs, out of breath and clasping his gloved hands together. "Please. She really needs you!"

He can't lose her again...

"Help who?" Maddie asks, startled by how anxious and upset he seems.

He can't even stop the string of sentences from pouring out of his mouth. Tom and probably Maddie as well are used to how fast he can talk sometimes, but never like _this._

"Wewerejustabouttostartplayingbaseballandthenaportalopenedupandsheappeared—"

Dinner forgotten now along with the game, Maddie quickly bends down to try and offer some comfort.

"Sweetie, sweetie, it's alright," she says, but he just can't stop moving. He's thankful that she doesn't even try and tell him to _slow down_ and try explaining again, already expecting Tom to come in right behind him. It's _not_ alright, it really isn't...not yet, at least. They got her here right on time and she'll be better soon.

As if on cue, the front door opens again and Tom emerges with his jacket in his arms, the large shape inside the jacket itself enough to catch Maddie's attention.

"No time to explain," Tom gets out in just as much of a rush as Sonic. He holds the jacket closer to Maddie so she can get a better look, her eyes widening as her gaze meets the big owl inside.

Wait. She glances up at Tom again, then back at the...

It's an _owl?_ A really _huge_ owl, at that.

But she just can't start any treatments unless she gets _some_ kind of explanation about her new patient.

"She came through a portal. He says she's his mother," Tom explains in a more quick and shorter way than Sonic ever could at the moment. Maddie blinks, more confused now than ever, but doesn't even bother to ask any questions much to Sonic's relief.

"I'll do everything I can for her," she says calmly, taking the bundle gently from Tom's arms. She stares at the empty counter in front of her, glancing with hesitation back at Sonic and then to Tom. "I need my medical kit and a lot of space."

Tom nods, running out of the kitchen and back as fast as Sonic would have been with the supplies that Maddie needs to take care of the owl.

Sonic barely hears Tom talking to him. "Come on, we should wait outside."

He can't budge. No matter how much he wills himself to put one foot in front of the other, he just can't bring himself to go out of the kitchen, keeping his wide eyes glued to Maddie and Longclaw.

He already left her once, he can't leave her _again..._

"Maddie knows what to do," Tom reassures him, motioning for him to follow. "She'll take really good care of her and she'll wake up soon."

"She's the best vet in Green Hills," Sonic murmurs shakily. _He_ of all the animals in town should know that from his experience with her excellent care.

Tom nods firmly.

"Especially now that she knows what she's looking at. Kind of," he reassures him again. Longclaw might be _huge,_ but she still looks more like a normal owl than an alien nevertheless. Not anything like an alien hedgehog, that is.

Before he can say or ask anything else, Sonic is no longer standing next to him, gone in little more than a blue streak.

xxxx

"Alright Sonic, now's not the time to panic."

He paces back and forth inside his room. He'd attempted to sit down on the beanbag to read some comics, but that hadn't really worked. He'd attempted to try self-therapy again but that hadn't worked, either.

He goes over it in his head for the hundredth time.

A portal had opened up out of nowhere just as he and Donut Lord were about to begin their daily, nightly baseball game.

He stares down at the pouch filled with rings in his hands. He'd counted them all over and over, and every single one is still here. If all of his rings are still here where they're supposed to be, then how did Longclaw still have one? How many does she even have, for that matter? Why didn't she come looking for him _sooner?_ Why has she only decided to come for him _now_ when absolutely everything in his life is so perfect?

Okay, he's panicking.

Throwing his arms up in the air and dropping the tied pouch of rings to the floor, he starts shouting more loudly than he means to and paces back and forth more briskly.

"What did she tell you to do? Never stop running. Never be discovered. And what did you do? You did the exact opposite! Again! Oh, she is _not_ going to be happy about this..."

Longclaw won't be happy about the fact that he revealed his powers and is now discovered by the humans of Earth (or Green Hills, at least) the exact thing she told him to _never_ do. Just like he hadn't listened to her back home, he hadn't listened to her now, even though it was technically Donut Lord's fault for shooting him with the tranq. Or maybe it really _was_ his fault since he'd been stupid enough to go in his house. Tom's house that's now his...

He hears someone coming up the attic ladder. In less than a shot, he throws himself onto his bed and pulls the covers over himself.

"Hey, Space Hog."

He pulls the covers tighter over himself, but doesn't protest as Donut Lord sits on the edge of the bed next to him.

"So...I'm guessing adopted?" Tom asks softly.

In spite of himself and the situation, Sonic smiles. "Yeah...I mean, I kind of thought that was obvious, Donut Lord."

Tom smiles too, pleasantly surprised that he doesn't have to ask one of the many questions burning in the back of his mind as Sonic brings himself to continue.

"I never knew my real parents. She was the only one who was nice to me on my planet. She was the one who took care of me," Sonic begins. He's not sure if he can say any more than that. He doesn't want to, he's not ready to...those horrible creatures that had chased after him for his power, the arrows that they'd shot all come rushing back to him full-force. Then Longclaw instructing him to go through the portal even if he didn't want to without her, standing protectively in front of him as the creatures came closer...

He can still hear the younger version of himself screaming as he attempted to race back to the portal, but to no avail. It had disappeared just as he was about to go back through, himself...

Even with his speed, it hadn't been enough. He didn't reach her in time. It was too late, he never made it. He just wasn't fast enough. If only he had _listened_ to her.

"She was the one who sent me here to Earth, because..."

He doesn't realize he's shaking and nearly out of breath until a cool hand presses against the fur on his shoulder. He jumps from under the sheets into a sitting position, and Tom pulls his hand away. After so many years alone in the woods, he's still not quite used to even small and comforting gestures that Tom and Maddie give him every now and then.

"It's okay, I'm right here," Tom comforts gently. "Nothing's going to hurt you. _No one_ is going to try and hurt you again, or her. Maddie and I won't let that happen."

Sonic rests his head on Tom's shoulder and he doesn't resist, allowing the hedgehog to be as close as he wants.

"It's not me I'm worried about..." Sonic whispers, staring ahead and trying his best to ignore the haunting echoes of his childhood. "Now she's _here._ If I wasn't able to save her in my world, how will I save her in this one?"

Tom doesn't press him for an explanation. When he's ready to talk, he will. He'll give him all the time he needs.

"You won't have to," Donut Lord answers, a lot more sure than he is. Sonic wishes he could believe that, himself. If something similar happens to her here, he's not even sure if he'd be able to bring himself to move.

"How do you _know?"_ he almost chokes, his body still quivering a little. "The baseball lights went out. Someone is going to come for me again and now her, too."

If the government could hardly wrap their heads around a talking blue hedgehog, how would they react to a big, talking _owl?_

"Look. The lights are still on here," Tom points out.

Sonic follows his gesturing hand. He's right; the lights were on in the kitchen and they're also shining bright here in his room. It must have only been the lights on the field that went out, not the town this time. The portal hadn't been enough to cause a power outage _that_ big like he had.

"Longclaw told you to stay away from me," he says hesitantly, finally able to meet Tom's concerned gaze. "I think she thought you were going to hurt me. She never trusted _anyone_ back home."

"Lucky I wasn't the one holding the baseball bat."

Sonic can't help a small chuckle, but it doesn't last long. "Yeah...I don't know how she's gonna take all of this when she wakes up."

 _If she wakes up,_ his inner voice hisses cruelly once again. No, he can't think like that. Maddie is taking care of her and she'll wake up soon, just as Tom said.

Deep down, he knows _exactly_ how she's going to take all of it.

"All of what?" Tom asks, still not quite sure what he's trying to say. Maddie would probably get it faster than him; she's always been good with kids and the Blue Devil is no different.

Sonic looks up at him, his eyes starting to water at the terrible thought. He's happy she found him, of _course_ he is. He's happy that she's alive and well (well, maybe not well _yet,_ but he has full confidence that Maddie is taking excellent care of her.)

He just can't stop the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that everything in his newly-rebuilt life is going to fall apart in the most painful way possible. He can't imagine ever leaving Tom and Maddie now, not after all they've been through together. Not after they've just become a...

He might be wrong. After all, Longclaw is really hurt and he doubts it had been her intention to come back here and intentionally look for him in the condition she'd arrived. It was an entire, really big coincidence that she just so happened to end up on the baseball field where they were playing. A miracle too, or else she might have never gotten the help that she needs now.

"You dropped these, by the way," Tom's voice breaks him out of his racing thoughts.

Sonic squeezes his eyes shut as he feels the pouch of rings being placed back into his hands.

The only thing he can do for now is voice his worry to Donut Lord.

"What if she wants to take me back?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning that this chapter has a bit of angst... ;)

"How is she?" Sonic asks, almost afraid to know the answer.

Donut Lord stands in front of him and he braces himself for bad news. Please, don't let anything bad happen to her...not again. He knows his poor heart would never able to take it. His pulse according to Maddie is already far beyond anything she's ever felt.

Relief pours into him as Donut Lord nods in response, but he has a bad feeling that Longclaw isn't quite out of the woods yet.

"But she's going to be okay?" he gets out in a terrified squeak that makes Tom's heart almost stop, itself.

"Once her wings are better, she will be," Tom confirms. "They got banged up pretty bad."

Sonic's eyes widen, and Tom immediately wishes he could take back his choice of words. Sonic doesn't need to worry any more than he already is.

"But she'll be okay! Don't worry," he makes sure to add as fast as he can before Sonic becomes _too_ panicked.

The hedgehog forces himself not to plead, his voice coming out in nothing more than a barely audible whisper.

"Can I see her?"

Tom shakes his head, albeit regretfully. If he was in Sonic's position, he'd want to see his mother right away too.

"Maddie still needs to do some more work, but you should be able to in the morning."

Sonic lets out a sigh, trying to get comfortable. He doesn't know how he's going to make it through the night; he just isn't able to completely settle down, his hands wringing together and feet bumping against the bed as his legs swing back and forth. Before Tom can try and voice his thoughts, Sonic beats him to it.

"What if we can convince her?"

Tom waits for him to elaborate, and he doesn't have to wait long, already getting an idea of what he has in mind. It brings him back to when they had just barely known each other, yet Sonic had said they already finish each other's sentences. They know each other well enough by now that they even finish each other's thoughts.

"We can convince her that it's safe for me here, that it's...better than going through a portal to another world, or back to my original planet," Sonic says eagerly.

His plan causes something to click in Tom's mind—a part of their road trip that he had forgotten that comes rushing back in just as much of a blur as Sonic. "Was she the one you were talking about in the hotel room? I think I remember the name Longclaw now," he lets him know, and Sonic offers a tiny nod.

Tom can faintly remember Sonic mentioning her as the hotel room comes back to him. Something about maybe being wrong, that maybe he really could have a life on Earth. His mother must have told him otherwise, but he was _right._

"She always told me to keep running, to never stop. I didn't listen to her," Sonic continues, preparing himself to tell the rest of the story. He wants to. He needs to get it off his chest, and there's no one he trusts more than Donut Lord.

Tom can tell where he's going. He's going to blame himself again, but he really shouldn't. Whatever had happened in Sonic's past hadn't been because of him, Tom knows that much. If only he can get Sonic to believe it, too...

"It was all my fault that she got hurt," he murmurs, tempted to curl back up under the covers and never come out.

"Whoa, what are you talking about? She came through the portal hurt. You had nothing to do with that," Tom insists.

"Not that!" Sonic nearly cries. "When she had to send me through the _other_ portal here to Earth."

If only he had _listened_ to her, it never would have happened. She wouldn't have had to fly away with him clutched tightly in her grip only to be shot down. Only to have her give the rings to him, telling him to never stop running or be discovered—which he hadn't done. He hadn't listened once again, even though it turned out for the better this time.

Tom shakes his head in quick disagreement. "I'm sure she doesn't think that. I'm sure she _never_ thought that."

Sonic tries his best to keep himself together, he really does, just barely managing to keep his voice from quivering. He wishes he could be just as confident in himself as Donut Lord is.

"Tom," he says suddenly, jolting Donut Lord back to reality. It's rare for Sonic to call him by his real name; usually only in serious moments like these. "I don't want to go back there. She wouldn't make me go back because it's not safe, right? We _have_ to convince her."

It hadn't even seemed like she came from their original world anyway as Sonic recalls the strange, white glow he'd seen behind the portal. What _was_ that place? Is it a place he can try going to by using one of his rings? But no, he can't attempt that now. He has to be here when Longclaw wakes up.

Tom shakes his head, leaving Sonic confused until he explains himself.

"What we should try and do for now is get some rest. Do you think you can eat a little dinner before going to sleep?"

Sonic gives him a glum head shake in return. "I don't think I could fall asleep even if I tried."

"Want me to stay until you fall asleep?"

"I think I'll be okay, but...thanks," Sonic answers softly. He does feel a little better after talking with Donut Lord. It was a lot he needed to get off his shoulders.

Tom readies himself to leave for the night, even if he doesn't exactly want to leave Sonic alone. "Alright, Blue Blur. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Da-"

Sonic's eyes widen and he coughs in an immediate attempt to cover what he almost said. Tom stares back at him, waiting patiently. It doesn't seem like he picked up on the three-lettered word that almost came out of his mouth.

"Goodnight, Donut Lord," Sonic corrects himself quickly, but hopefully not quick enough to be noticed.

Tom makes his way down the attic ladder but before his head completely disappears, Sonic all at once gathers enough courage to stop him.

"...It was an arrow that got her. They shot her and she fell, and then the portal closed."

Tom's breath hitches at the thought of a much younger Sonic having to witness something so terrible. He halts in place, staring at Sonic for a moment. He wonders what he means by _they._ Who could have done such a horrible thing to Sonic and his mother? Tom isn't sure he wants to find out, and a little more sure that it isn't something Sonic wants to remember.

"I tried to go back, but couldn't reach her in time," the poor kid whimpers. Tom is even more unsure now if he should leave him for the night.

"It wasn't your fault," he says more firmly. Again, Sonic wishes he could be just as sure. "Are you sure you'll be okay up here?"

Sonic nods so rapidly that Tom almost doesn't see it.

He gives a small smile and turns to go back down the attic ladder, leaving Sonic to his never-ending racing thoughts that just don't seem to stop, his bedroom lights dimming. It's almost ironic that his new bed is racecar-themed, but he loves it all the same. Sonic loves everything about his room and what Tom and Maddie had done to it, wondering just how much trouble they must have gone through to bring all of his stuff back from the cave.

Longclaw was wrong the whole time. She always told him to never stop running, to never let anyone on Earth know he existed. Well, now everyone in Green Hills knows and he's still here.

He's still okay. In his discovery, he's made a whole new life for himself and friends—a family that he wouldn't trade for anything, that he will never let anything happen to. Not like he had done to Longclaw. He may have pushed them off of a tall building, but it was the only way so he could protect them. With Tom out of the room, the sudden burst of anger is surprising even to him, nearly overriding his happiness that Longclaw has somehow returned.

"You were wrong," he seethes into the dark of his room, his hands clenching into fists. He wants to scream but by some miracle, he manages to keep his voice just below a trembling whisper. "It was all your fault that I was alone when I never _had_ to be."

The attic ladder creaks again. At first he thinks it's Tom again with more news, but a nose peeks out from the ladder opening.

"Ozzy?" Sonic whispers. Tom must have helped him up the ladder. He probably wants his second best animal friend to make sure his first is okay, that he has someone with him through the night and to help him feel better.

The dog makes his way in and whines, as if he's picking up on his mood. Sonic wouldn't be surprised; Maddie had once told him that animals on Earth can be very in tune with how a human feels. He's not human himself, but Ozzy still seems to be worried about him and how he's feeling.

"Please, I...I just want to be alone right now," he tries to tell Ozzy without his voice breaking. It does anyway. "I'm fine, really."

He knows he's lying to himself. Being alone is the last thing he wants to be. He's been alone for ten years, but the realization that he didn't _have_ to be is starting to hit hard. If Longclaw really was alive the whole time, why didn't she come looking for him? Why did she send him to an unknown planet and force him to hide when he could have tried to find help? His life could have been the same as it is now. He never would have had to spend his first night alone on Earth when he was so tiny and _scared_ in the woods where big animals tried to chase after him until he found the cave.

He knows one thing for sure. If she tries to make him go back, he won't do it. He won't abandon Tom and Maddie like he had to abandon her. She had her chance to come back for him, but she never did.

Why? Why didn't she come back for him sooner, to save him from the loneliness and heartache of being by himself for so long? He can clearly remember her saying goodbye to him just as the portal closed, but it hadn't _really_ been goodbye. She had somehow escaped those awful creatures that had gone after him.

She survived unexpectedly just like he had.

So _why?_

"...I _hate_ you," Sonic grinds out, surprisingly not directed at all towards Tom's dog.

He blinks rapidly seconds after, realizing the words that had just come out of his mouth.

They couldn't be farther from the truth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean it!"

When she wakes up, it's the first thing he'll tell her. He's sorry for not listening, for causing her to get hurt. For not being able to reach her in time before the portal closed and that those awful creatures got to her.

His barely contained tears and soft gasping as he throws his whole body face-down back on the bed alert Ozzy that the blue hedgehog isn't really fine as he said. The golden goes against his wishes and jumps onto the bed anyway, curling into a circle next to him.

Sonic can't help but smile into the dark, running a gloved hand over the top of Ozzy's head and burying his tear-streaked face into the golden's fur that merges with his own.

"Thanks, Ozzy..."

xxxx

"So she's his...?" Maddie whispers as she and Tom stare at the owl resting on their couch in front of the television.

Longclaw seems to be much better thanks to Maddie's help, the only sign that she'd ever been so badly banged up being one of her wings in a sling and a bandage wrapped carefully around her side.

"That's what he told me," Tom says, his eyes glued to the owl in disbelief. The portal had been so unexpected, especially Sonic calling the owl his mother.

"Do you think this means..." Maddie trails off, placing a hand on Tom's shoulder and squeezing gently, not sure whether she's trying to comfort her husband or herself.

She can't bear the thought, not when Sonic has just become a part of their home.

Their family.

She's grown so used to his presence that she doesn't think she'd be able to go back to how her life was before he came into it and she's sure that Tom feels the same about their new addition, too.

"He told me he was worried about that, but it's going to take a while for her wing to recover, right?" Tom asks, and Maddie gives a small nod.

"Wings heal a bit faster than a human's broken arm or foot, but yes. It's still going to be a while," Maddie says more calmly than she expected herself to be. Tom sighs in relief. If anything, when Longclaw wakes up and if she decides that Sonic is better off with her on their original planet...then at least they don't have to say goodbye right away. Maybe they can convince her to let him stay like Sonic suggested. He had told the terrible story of what happened in their world that forced her to send him away. It might be cruel, but maybe all they have to do is remind her of _why_ she sent him away in the first place.

They have to convince Longclaw that Green Hills is the safest place for him, that everyone's looking out for him. That Sonic is a part of their life, their _home._

That Sonic has become his—

"Tom, I think you should see this," Maddie says quietly before the thought can materialize any further, motioning for him to follow her closer to the couch. Tom isn't so sure that they should be close to the owl in case she wakes up. Based on what Sonic had told him about her, she'll most likely panic at being in an unfamiliar place, especially since that place is a human house. She doesn't know yet that her adopted son currently resides with them as a part of their family, that they would never do anything to hurt him; they'll have to make sure that Sonic is with her when she does wake up.

Maddie gestures to the bandage wrapped around Longclaw's side. She goes into the kitchen and returns a few moments later with something in her hand.

"I found this stuck in her side. It looked really recent," she explains, holding out her hand so Tom can see. His eyes widen; he hadn't felt anything _sharp_ when he'd picked her up with his jacket.

He can clearly remember what Sonic had said only moments ago.

_"...It was an arrow that got her."  
_

He can only stare with confusion at the arrow in Maddie's hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all prepared for this one, but probably not for the reason you think...

_He races down the building so fast that everything seems to be moving in slow motion—he doesn't realize that Eggman is about to press the button a lot sooner than he originally thought. The ring is falling faster than he's able to bring himself to run!_

_No, no, no! He's too late, his legs just won't move and they're both falling faster than he can keep up with. Trying with everything he has, he reaches his arms forward to try and grab the ring, but to no avail. It's falling too fast, he just can't reach it and Tom and Maddie are getting closer to the ground..._

_He fails to grab the ring. The portal to safety doesn't open and Tom and Maddie—_

Sonic jolts awake, panting hard only to find Ozzy standing over him with concern, the golden's face right in front of his and not even giving him enough time to focus on the dreaded nightmare he just woke up from.

"Don't even think about it," the hedgehog warns through gasping breaths, already knowing what Ozzy is planning.

The dog does it anyway, inching forward to smear his face with his tongue.

"Ugh. Is this really necessary?" he has to ask, but he doesn't argue any further. It's nice that someone had been here ready to break him out of that awful nightmare. If that had really happened to Tom and Maddie—if he hadn't managed to save them the way he did with the ring—he never would have forgiven himself.

He can't help but laugh as he struggles to get away from Ozzy's affectionate kisses, the last of the nightmare fading from his mind.

"Alright, alright, I'm awake."

Much to his relief, Ozzy finally backs off. He leaps down from the bed to move towards the attic ladder, a sure sign that he's more than ready to head downstairs and for good reason, the smell of breakfast reaching both of their noses. Rubbing his eyes, Sonic yawns and stretches, glancing at the window behind him.

It's morning already?

He can't even remember falling asleep, only knowing that it took a while because...

 _Longclaw,_ he remembers instantly, eyes widening tenfold as he recalls the events from last night. She came through a portal. She's not gone, she's here on Earth with him now. She was alive the entire time, but she hadn't come back to look for him.

 _You should have gone looking for her yourself,_ the thought overtakes his mind suddenly. There might have been the slightest chance that she was still alive...and she is. He still had his rings, he should have gone back to the island in case she was still alive. He hadn't seen any more arrows be shot at her, she'd just been standing protectively in front of the portal so those terrible creatures couldn't get to him.

He makes an attempt to move but finds that he's not able to; it's as if his legs are made of jelly like he's been shot with a tranquilizer again.

Longclaw is down there. If Maddie is making breakfast, that must mean he's allowed to see her now. She and Tom probably wanted him to sleep in as much as he could after that exhausting and emotionally draining night, and he finds himself grateful.

He reaches underneath his pillow, bringing out the pouch of rings that he'd hidden. If Longclaw doesn't know that he still has them, she won't be able to try and make him go back with her. He'll have to find a better hiding place for them later, but for now they're fine being under the pillow. If she has a ring or two of her own however, that's a different story, but it's better safe than sorry.

He doesn't even try to speed down the ladder. He could be by Longclaw's side in less than a second but he feels the unexpected need to take it slow, gathering enough courage to follow Ozzy down the ladder.

 _You should have gone back for her,_ his mind hisses cruelly to him once more. _She was alive the whole time, but you left her. You didn't even try._

Then again, Longclaw wouldn't have wanted him to go back. She wouldn't have wanted him to go back to a place that wasn't safe to look for her.

He still should have tried.

xxxx

Maddie calls her work and the vet is more than understanding when she explains very discreetly in case the government is listening in that she needs to take care of a certain hedgehog due to a bad cold, leaving out the fact that the hedgehog is actually a blue alien. She's not even sure if Sonic has ever had a cold during his time on Earth before he met her and Tom, but it's the best excuse she can come up with, making sure to leave out the fact that another space creature is currently residing in their house.

It doesn't take much for Tom to decide that he should stay home for the day, too. He can always leave his radio on in case an emergency comes up and he needs to leave. Until then, his need to stay and support Sonic the best he can until Longclaw wakes up outweighs everything else.

"I can just tell Wade that I'm back in Barbados with Rihanna and decided to take Sonic with me to meet her," he says with a small grin while Maddie prepares breakfast after checking on Longclaw.

Maddie giggles lightly, pecking Tom on the cheek. She's glad he wants to stay with Sonic and Longclaw just as much as she does.

"Knowing him, he'll believe it."

Tom nods. "Exactly, then I can tell him we got back sooner than expected. Knowing Wade, he'll believe that too."

But they know they can't let it go on for too long. A day or two at most and then one of them has to go back to work, or else questions will start being asked and it's best not to let anyone know about Sonic's mother for now. Tom first most likely, since Maddie _is_ the vet and knows how to look after Longclaw best despite the owl being an alien from another world.

Tom had told her that Sonic didn't eat dinner last night and he still might not want to eat until he knows for sure that Longclaw is going to be okay, but Maddie prepares a plate for him anyway just in case. It also helps to keep her busy until she has to change Longclaw's bandage.

She and her husband have both become more than accustomed to the faint rush of air they feel that alert them Sonic is suddenly in the kitchen. Ozzy arrives a few seconds later and Tom realizes that the hedgehog hadn't even gone at his fastest, probably wanting to take things slow and for good reason.

Sonic doesn't have to say anything; Maddie knows the first thing he wants to do before he even thinks about having breakfast.

"She's not awake yet, so we have to be quiet," Maddie whispers as she leads him towards the couch. He follows behind Pretzel Lady, almost afraid of what he's going to see, but he _needs_ to see her. It's been so long...

"Longclaw..." he mimics Maddie's quiet voice in a whisper of his own, unable to take his eyes away. He hasn't seen her in so long, but now she's here. On Earth. The last place he wants her to be in case she gets even more hurt than she already is. In case someone like Eggman tries to go after her like they went after him.

Sonic inches closer to the couch, willing himself not to panic or run away. This is _Longclaw,_ the one who loved him and took care of him for the first few years of his life when no one else would.

He winces at her wing inside the sling and the bandage wrapped around her side. Who could have done this to her before she came through the portal to Earth? If he didn't know any better, her current wounds seem very similar to when she'd been shot down just before sending him through the first portal, but that's not possible. These are fresh, new injuries that have nothing to do with her getting shot down by an arrow. Again, he reminds himself that she hadn't even come from anywhere that looked like their original planet.

"She's going to wake up, right?" he asks Maddie weakly, his legs shaking. Longclaw's eyes are closed, but at least she doesn't seem to be in any pain.

It takes a lot for him not to fall to the floor in a heap, the only thing keeping him afloat being Tom's support right behind him.

"She should wake up anytime," Maddie reassures him. It does nothing to stop his lingering doubt, but he trusts her. He doesn't know what he's going to do or say when Longclaw does wake up, so he figures it's for the best that it will take some time for him to think of something. _Sorry_ is still the first thing that comes to mind. He's sorry for everything.

Sonic lifts himself up onto the couch to sit next to Longclaw, keeping a protective watch over her. He's still confused by just how similar her wounds seem to the arrow that had brought her down, but he forces himself not to think about it. That's _impossible._

Tom motions for him to scoot to the side and he obliges so Donut Lord can sit next to him. It's a tight fit, but Sonic doesn't mind at all. He might still be getting used to being closer than normal to people, but it's something he definitely is getting used to.

Maddie practically forces him to eat breakfast even though he still doesn't exactly want anything to eat, but she doesn't allow him to do anything else until his empty stomach is filled. Once he cooperates and finishes breakfast somewhat unwillingly, she gives him some coloring pages to fill in, even though he can color in the blink of an eye. It's not really enough to keep him occupied, but he's grateful for something to do while it lasts. Tom even joins in at one point out of boredom, helping him color in the pages.

"Okay, you two are even more adorable now. It's just like when I color with JoJo," Maddie squeals in a low voice. Sonic grins and Tom's face turns red, shaking his head at Maddie's comment.

"This is nothing like that," he lets out in a mumble.

Donut Lord instead turns on a movie at low volume that isn't _Speed_ unfortunately, but an animated movie that Sonic hasn't seen before until now. It's about time they put on something different or else Tom might find himself being driven up the wall.

"So who do you think is faster, me or Dash?" Sonic can't help but ask. This movie might not be _Speed,_ but he's surprised to find that it has a character with powers similar to his own and his favorite character in his comics.

"Can you run on water?" Tom asks, more curious than anything.

Sonic pauses for a moment. He's never tried to run on water, not even on the island since Longclaw always told him to stay hidden. If the thought had ever crossed his mind, he probably would have done it. The idea is really cool and he probably could, not counting when he'd crashed into the cold, dark waters of the Pacific. It never occurred to him that he might be able to run on water and even if he could, he still would have crashed into the Pacific just to make Tom feel guilty.

He shakes his head, hoping that Donut Lord doesn't remember the fish that got stuck on his head. He blinks, turning his gaze away slightly. "I've, uh....never really tried it so I don't know."

Tom points back towards the TV just as Dash runs into a cave. He smirks. "Then Dash is faster."

Sonic gives him a glare, realizing with dismay that Tom does indeed remember him crashing into the water and coming back to the truck soaking wet; of course it's not something that he'd easily forget.

"How dare you," he grumbles.

Tom simply shrugs. "We could always go to the beach and you can try again."

Thanks to Sonic's rings, they can go anywhere anytime they want; they just have to be careful of where exactly they end up in any particular location where crowds of people might be. Tom himself already has a pretty good handle on how to put the rings to use. He'd been the one to open up the portal to send Eggman to the Mushroom Planet, after all. He didn't even have to know what the planet looked like, only having to think of mushrooms.

The movie ends all too soon. It's already starting to get dark outside.

Sonic folds his arms as Tom turns off the TV. "But can Dash run fast enough for time to slow down? I don't think so..."

The way Tom stops suddenly just as the TV flickers off should have been a little more than concerning, but Sonic's full attention is back on Longclaw. It's been a day and she still hasn't woken up. Maddie said she could wake up anytime, but what if she doesn't?

He would have argued if Tom made him go back up to the attic, but Maddie is done with Longclaw's injuries for now. He doesn't need to be asked if he wants to spend the night on the couch with Longclaw and Ozzy decides to stay as well, though on the floor so the couch doesn't become too crowded. Sonic is ever grateful for the dog's steadfast presence.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Donut Lord asks the same question he did the night before. Sonic nods, more sure of himself this time. Longclaw might not be awake yet, but she's on the road to recovery. He feels better now that he's allowed to be with her.

When Tom looks back at Sonic, he's already fast asleep before he can say goodnight like they always do.

Smiling softly, Tom pulls a blanket over the little guy so he won't be cold.

xxxx

Sonic wakes up slowly to loud-quiet talking, since Maddie did say that they have to be careful not to wake up Longclaw by accident. The loud whispering seems to be coming from the kitchen. He smiles to himself, realizing that Donut Lord had tucked him in. The blanket falls off of him as he decides to get up and investigate what's going on. He takes careful steps around Ozzy so the dog doesn't wake up, either.

He makes sure to stay behind the entryway that leads into the kitchen where they can't see him, but he can still listen in.

"Time travel?" Maddie asks, looking a little more than skeptical. Tom throws his arms up, letting them fall back to his sides.

What does she mean by time travel? He's seen plenty of movies so he knows exactly what it is, but why are they arguing about it?

"Talking, blue alien hedgehogs and owls exist. There are whole other worlds out there that we don't know about but we know they do because of the rings! Time travel could definitely be a plausible explanation."

Maddie sighs. "I don't know, Tom..."

"He told me she was shot with an arrow—this could be that same arrow. Sonic didn't recognize the world behind the portal. What if she came from the past?"

Maddie puts whatever it is she's holding back safely into a drawer. Finally, they both leave the kitchen after more frantic whisper-shouting. He wills himself to move forward, to get a closer look at what they'd both been arguing over.

Opening the kitchen drawer, his heart nearly stops when his confused gaze meets a familiar, horrifying sight.

What are they saying? That he really _is_ the one responsible for her getting hurt? Tom had said he had nothing to do with that since she came through the portal in bad shape, but supposedly the wounds she has now are the same as when she'd first been shot down so long ago? How is that even possible?

Sonic can only stare with wide eyes at the small but deadly arrow inside the drawer, his heart picking up its pace.

No, no. It's not possible. The wounds she has now aren't the same, they're not!

Against his better judgement, he reaches inside the drawer to take careful hold of the arrow, lifting it towards his face so he can make sure that he's not just imagining things. No, his eyes aren't failing him. What he's holding is an _arrow,_ possibly the very same arrow that shot Longclaw—

Movement from behind him snaps Sonic out of it before he can even go into full on panic mode. He turns sharply, only to see Donut Lord standing by the entryway.

Tom reaches his arms forward. Whether it's to try and stop him or comfort him, Sonic doesn't know. All he knows is that he has to get out of here and never come back where he can hurt anyone ever again, the nightmare he'd woken up from that morning being proof enough of what he could have easily done to Tom and Maddie by shoving them off that building. Longclaw is in a sling and has a bandage around her side because of _him._

The blue sparks that dance across his arm towards his hand holding the arrow only further cement his decision to leave.

To keep everyone he loves _safe_ away from harm—away from _him._

"Sonic—"

The hedgehog is gone along with the arrow before he can even blink.

"Tom!" Maddie shouts from the couch upon the sudden, loud screeching that can only mean one thing—Longclaw just woke up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was harder to write than I thought, since we only saw about a minute or so of Longclaw in the movie and we don't actually know her that well (but I imagine her to be very set in her ways and protective of Sonic...)

A million things run through Tom's mind. Well, maybe not a million, but close to it.

That happened.

Perfect timing.

Leave it to Sonic to leave them alone with his mother just when she wakes up, the very thing they had been planning on _not_ doing so she would have a familiar face to wake up to.

They should have told him sooner. What were they going to gain by trying to hide the arrow from Sonic? He was going to tell him, but the blue hedgehog found out first. Tom doesn't blame him for running off.

Just what is he going to say to Sonic's adopted mother? He has no idea. This is going to be like when he first met Maddie's sister, isn't it? What if Longclaw doesn't like him or Maddie and decides right off the bat that she should take Sonic away from them? Not that Longclaw can do that right away since she's still too injured to move much, and not that she'd be taking Sonic away from them since he was never really 'theirs' in the first place. He's a big part of their family now, but he doesn't _belong_ to them.

 _Just take one thing at a time,_ he attempts to calm himself, but it doesn't exactly work.

At least Longclaw's screeches have stopped for now. It must have just been the panic of waking up in an entirely new environment on a different planet (and maybe even different _time)_ that got to her upon first waking up.

Ozzy doesn't stop barking, forcing Maddie to take him out of the room so he won't disturb Longclaw and she comes rushing back right away to make sure the owl doesn't hurt herself.

Speaking of Longclaw...

Staring at an alien owl now that she's awake is a whole different ball game, especially now that she's standing up on her talons on their couch, hovering over them with watchful eyes. Her stare is heavy, like she doesn't trust them at all. Of course she doesn't; why would she? It's their first time meeting, of course she'd be a little more than suspicious. The cut in his hand as he had tried to help Maddie calm her down proves it. He tried to stay out of the way to let his wife do what she does best, but Longclaw's talons got him just before he could move and now a fairly big scratch rests on the top of his poor hand. It feels warm and wet, but he can take care of it later. It doesn't even hurt too bad, or at least that's what he tries to tell himself.

The fact that a huge alien owl is standing over them on their couch as the lights start flashing overhead is ten times freakier. If Tom knows Sonic as well as he does now, then the hedgehog is most likely panicking over what he'd found in the kitchen drawer. Longclaw's grip on the couch tightens, her talons puncturing the soft cushion.

Tom tries to ignore the throbbing pain in his hand and that their couch is being ruined. They have much more important things to worry about, focusing his attention on the flashing lights.

"Come on, buddy," he encourages in a whisper, but the flickering only seems to get faster until it starts hurting his eyes. Maddie keeps her own watchful eye on Longclaw in case the owl tries to move again, but thankfully she stays in place, her wide eyes never leaving them as she attempts to determine whether or not he and Maddie are a threat. The flashing lights don't even seem to bother her.

Sonic knows that if another power outage happens, the government isn't going to let it go as easily. They aren't going to present them with another gift card to Olive Garden, that's for sure. They'll come knocking on the door and won't be as willing to leave them alone as they were before.

He does his best to project his worries onto Sonic wherever he might be now, and it actually seems to work. Either that, or Sonic is just doing his best to calm himself down on his own, and Tom wants nothing more than to run off himself and find the Blue Blur, to just give him a hug and let him know that everything is going to be okay.

The lights suddenly stop flashing and much to Tom and Maddie's relief, they don't turn off. Tom sighs, reaching his uninjured hand towards his head. Wade hasn't tried calling him yet, so hopefully not everyone in Green Hills experienced the intense flashing lights.

It takes Longclaw a moment to process why the humans appear so relieved that the lights are back to normal, even if she's never seen any kind of lights such as these that seem to be much brighter and stronger than anything back home on the island.

"You know," she breathes, eyes widening upon the realization that these humans _know_ about Sonic. Worst of all, they know about his powers. The last thing she told him before the portal closed was to always stay hidden, to never be discovered. Once again, he hadn't listened to her. Doesn't he understand how important staying hidden is so no one will ever try and bring harm to him again?

"You know about Sonic," she repeats, unsure if she really believes it. But if these humans are this calm around her, then they must be the same way around Sonic.

It's not really a question, but more of an affirmation of what she fears most: that humans on Earth _know._

They know about Sonic.

He had to have told them about her, which means they know that he can also talk. Humans on Earth would not be as calm as they are now if they didn't know about a certain little alien hedgehog that she'd raised like he was her own.

"We know what he can do," Tom confirms as calmly as he can, even though the owl in front of him is talking just like Sonic can now. First a talking hedgehog, now an _owl._ "He's done this once before, but last time was worse."

Almost instantly, he regrets admitting that they know about Sonic's powers and how exactly they found out about them, but it isn't like they could have tried to hide that fact any more than they tried to hide the arrow from Sonic.

Longclaw makes an attempt to stretch her wings, including her injured one.

"Please try not to move!" Maddie doesn't want to shout, but feels she has to so Longclaw can hear her clearly enough in all of her panic.

The owl's body stills and then tenses, glancing down at her wing inside the sling and Tom can tell that another thought just hit her: if these humans are anything but trustworthy, then why would they try and help heal her broken wing? In the wild, a broken wing means a downed owl and a downed owl usually spells certain doom, especially if the wing is far beyond treatment. Though with Maddie's help, her wing will be as good as new in no time.

But hopefully not too soon...

Longclaw lowers herself gently as possible back into a reclining position, though her body remains just as tense.

"How long have you known?" she whispers, her voice tired and hoarse, full of worry for Sonic. Tom wishes he could convince her that she doesn't _have_ to worry so much.

"Not very long. A few weeks," Tom admits, hoping that a lesser amount of time will ease her worries. Of course Sonic has been in Green Hills longer than a few weeks, the only difference being that no one knew about him. They had absolutely no idea that they were being spied on by a blue alien creature, and Tom certainly had no idea that the alien Crazy Carl always spoke of would eventually become a big part of his life. It feels like they've known him longer than just a few weeks.

Longclaw's brow furrows in confusion. "Weeks?"

In fact, now that she thinks about it, the last time she saw Sonic was just a few minutes ago—or what seemed like a few minutes ago to her—on that strange field before she'd blacked out. It must have just been her tired mind working overdrive after managing to get away from the creatures shooting the arrows, but Sonic had seemed...bigger than she remembers. He wasn't the tiny hoglet that she so clearly recalls lifting up into her embrace with her wings, holding him close to her chest. She could still recognize who he was, though.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Tom tries, stealing a quick glance at Maddie and bracing himself for what they might find out. If what he suspects is actually true, he doesn't know how his already-broken mind is going to take it. He just found out that aliens exist and there are entire worlds out there, but time travel?

"Sonic was running again," Longclaw starts, her soft green eyes that remind Tom a lot of Sonic's growing hazy as she recalls what happened so long ago. "He went out to get me something, but then he was followed home. The creatures who attacked us had arrows and shot me down while I was trying to get him to safety."

Tom and Maddie listen intently. It fits with what Sonic had told him about an arrow bringing her down.

Longclaw isn't entirely sure that she should be telling her story to these humans, but they already know more about Sonic than they're supposed to. "We crashed and I gave him a pouch of rings. I opened a portal, and..." she trails off, unable to keep herself going as the horrible memory nearly overtakes her.

The owl had kept herself together fairly well since waking up, but Tom can tell she's starting to crack under the emotional weight of recalling the last time she'd seen her adopted son. Her breathing quickens and Maddie keeps a careful eye on the bandage around her side to make sure that nothing fresh is seeping through.

"Hey, it's okay," Tom reassures her gently. "You don't have to say any more, Sonic told me the rest of what happened."

He can't imagine just how awful it must have been to be shot down like that, then having to say goodbye. He can't imagine having to say goodbye to _Sonic,_ but he pushes that horrible thought away for now.

Her breathing slows just the slightest. "Thank you. It's so strange; Sonic seems very different," she says almost too quietly for Tom to hear.

"Different how?" he asks.

"...Older," Longclaw answers uncertainly.

Tom glances at Maddie, throwing her a look that clearly says _I told you so._ Longclaw hasn't even brought up the possibility of time travel yet and he's not even sure if she knows what it is, but there's a very big chance that it is a possibility based on what she just said about Sonic.

"Do you have a ring?" Tom asks without thinking.

Longclaw blinks in surprise, shaking her head. If the humans know about the rings, this is worse than she thought. They know about Sonic, his powers, the rings and the portals he can use to get to safety if he ever needs to. But she'd given all of the rings to Sonic, hadn't she? She has no more of her own. The last thing she remembers is sending Sonic through the portal to Earth.

Tom is just as confused as she is. How did she even get here if she doesn't have a ring?

Her eyes still hold a bit of sharpness towards them. She still doesn't trust him or Maddie, Tom can tell that much, and he doesn't really blame her. But maybe if he can get her to see how many humans really care about Sonic, that it isn't just the two of them watching out for him...

"There's this guy called Crazy Carl who knew he was around long before any of us," he begins, unsure if his idea is even going to work, but he has to try and convince Longclaw somehow that Sonic is safe even though he and Maddie and a lot of other people know about him.

Crazy. She raises what looks like an eyebrow to Tom and he continues, remaining firm in his stance. "Now that he knows Sonic really exists, he's going to make sure that nothing bad will happen to him, either."

 _He also has a chainsaw to help him out with that,_ Tom reminds himself, but he makes sure to leave that part out even if Longclaw probably doesn't know what a chainsaw is.

Longclaw shakes her head and Tom knows that she still isn't as convinced as he is.

"If as many humans know about Sonic as you say they do, word is going to get out. Someone won't be able to help themselves," she says quietly in response. She doesn't cringe or allow herself to show any physical signs of pain, but she glances down quickly at her side.

"I think the bandage needs to be changed now," Maddie says softly so as not to spook Longclaw. The owl glances down again at the bandage, her head tilting almost curiously. She lifts her head up to meet Maddie's gaze, silently giving permission for her to change the bandage.

"I'll be right back," she whispers. She takes Tom's injured hand gently in hers to look it over. "I'll get something for you, too."

Longclaw takes her gaze away from Tom's hand that she'd accidentally cut with her sharp talons. "I apologize. I didn't mean to cause any harm."

Tom blinks in surprise. Progress; this is a good thing. Small steps.

"Don't worry about it," he says, and Longclaw's head swivels back around to look at him again. "It doesn't hurt that bad."

A lie, but of course he's not going to tell Longclaw that. Still, he can't help but hold his injured hand with his good hand to try and stop the intense throbbing.

Tom has never seen an owl frown, but he's pretty sure that Longclaw just did and immediately feels terrible for lying.

 _We don't mean any harm either,_ he desperately wants to say. He and Maddie would never hurt Sonic because he's an alien or because he has powers. He's not sure if his unspoken words reach Longclaw.

_Come on, talk. Convince her. Make your case._

"So maybe a few people know about Sonic. Okay, a lot, maybe the whole town...but he has nothing to worry about. Everyone loves him and won't let anything happen to him except maybe the government, but—"

He resists the urge to smack himself in the face. Why is he so terrible at talking? He can say entire speeches to his donut empire without messing up once, why can't it be the same with actual people and aliens? He never has this much trouble around Sonic.

"Government?" Longclaw questions, obviously not liking the word.

Technically only one person had been after Sonic—that crazy Robotnik guy who doesn't even exist anymore—but the government still knows about Sonic even though Eggman is gone, banished far away on the Mushroom Planet. Tom makes sure to leave out Robotnik. Longclaw doesn't need to know about the madman who went after Sonic and wanted to dissect him, she really doesn't.

"...The people who wanted to go after Sonic when we first discovered he was here," Tom says a little more than reluctantly. If he wants to gain her trust, he has to start by actually telling the truth. Longclaw instantly picks up on his reluctance to say anything more about it. "We got them off our tail together."

Kind of. Not really. Judging by the way they came to their house right after the whole fiasco, the government still wants to know about Sonic. Not that he and Maddie will ever let that happen, just as he'd assured the Blue Devil.

Tom just can't get past how pleading her eyes are; she's just as desperate to protect Sonic as he and Maddie, but the way she wants to do it by taking him from the one thing he's grown so used to and comfortable with...

"He is at risk every minute this 'government' of yours knows he exists. He could be taken one day without you knowing."

His heart drops. The more she goes on, the more he starts to believe that maybe...maybe she's right. All of them only want what's best for Sonic and despite how long it's been since they've last seen each other, Longclaw knows Sonic best and how to look after him, something he and Maddie hardly have any experience with. Heck, they have absolutely _no_ experience raising an alien hedgehog with super speed powers.

"We can find a new world with few inhabitants and plenty of space for him to run where he doesn't have to hide any longer. It's something I should have done long ago."

More room to run and not having to hide sounds nice for the Blue Blur, but at what cost? Tom doesn't like the idea that he'd be completely isolated once again, though this time would be worse because then he wouldn't be able to 'hang out' with everyone as he'd done for such a long time in Green Hills.

"He has the same freedom here now that the town knows," he says, attempting to sound just the tiniest bit convincing. "He doesn't have to hide anymore."

Longclaw disagrees with him like he expected her to.

"Sonic has powers far greater than anyone on this planet can imagine. There will always be someone after him. This world will always be in danger as long as he's here."

Tom looks away, closing his eyes in frustration, but not defeat. Not yet, he can't think like that. He can't think that so soon after Sonic had come into their lives, he'll be gone again in the blink of an eye. He doesn't want to admit it, but Longclaw has brought up a lot of good points that even Sonic had agreed with once before deciding that staying on Earth with them was the best choice. It's still the best choice, but Longclaw just doesn't believe that as strongly as he does.

Maddie returns with new bandages for both Longclaw's side and his hand. Tom looks to his wife for help and she stares back at him, just as unsure of what to say in response.

"I am happy that he's found someone to trust here on Earth, that he's found a place to stay and you've been taking care of him, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Their house is more than just a place for him to stay. He and Maddie are more than just caretakers, than just roommates. They both knew it the moment they showed Sonic his new room and saw how happy he was. If only he can bring himself to tell Longclaw, but if she's so set in her ways, probably not even telling her that Sonic is a big part of their family now and they can't imagine life without him is going to work.

Her next words hit him hard enough that it feels like he's been punched in his gut.

"As soon as my wing is healed, I think it would be best for us to leave Earth so we risk no one else finding him," Longclaw finishes voicing Tom's worst fear. He's just thankful that it's going to take a while for that wing to heal.

Before he can think of any more futile arguments to spit out, his cell phone starts ringing.

"Hey, Wade," he says uncertainly, hoping against all hope that Wade isn't calling because of what happened with the lights moments ago.

"Hey, Tom, I know you're back in Barbados, but I just thought I'd let you know that we almost had another power outage here. The lights were flashing like crazy but I don't think it was Sonic because he's with you, right?"

Tom mentally curses, nodding to himself. "Yeah. Yeah, Wade, he's with me."

A far cry from the truth. At this point, they have no idea where Sonic is. He could be _anywhere_ by now, but Tom still wants to leave the house the first chance he gets to search. Sonic may have been alone for most of his life on Earth, but the idea of leaving him to fend for himself while he's so upset doesn't sit well with Tom. He can only hope that Sonic decides on his own to come back and soon.

Longclaw stares him down with those piercing green eyes of hers, full of distrust.

"Do you really think you know what's best for him?" the owl's question reaches his ears.

Tom doesn't have an immediate answer to that like he thought he would.

xxxx

Sonic doesn't know where exactly he's running to, just that he has to get away. He has to get away from them so he can't hurt anyone. The second he saw the sparks on his arm and Tom reaching out to him, he knew he had to get away or risk Donut Lord being hurt because of him and his uncontrollable energy. The same energy that Longclaw always told him to hide, to never let anyone see. Now the whole town of Green Hills knows and Longclaw is going to take him away even if he doesn't want to leave. It's probably not helping at all that he'd left them alone with her, but he just had to get out of there.

He said he wouldn't run away anymore, but what did he just do? What if she wakes up while he's gone?

"Just calm down, you're fine. They're both fine, that nightmare wasn't real and you didn't hurt Donut Lord. You weren't anywhere near him," Sonic attempts to comfort himself a little more than unsuccessfully.

"They were going to tell you, they just needed to wait until the right time," he tells himself sternly, desperately trying and failing to regain control of his powers. The sparks only seem to get brighter and _stronger._

Why did they keep the arrow a secret from him? Were they ever going to tell him or just keep on hiding the arrow because they didn't want him to see it? Donut Lord would never keep secrets like that from him. Or would he? Sonic has no idea now.

Flashes of bright blue nearly take over his vision. He curls in on himself on the hard floor, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and willing himself to calm down. If only Tom and Maddie were here to help him through it. If only Longclaw were here.

"If you cause another power outage, the government will come again and then they'll find out about her."

Finally, the blue sparks trail off of his fur bit by bit until they completely disappear and he's able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Blinking, his head swimming with dizziness, he opens his eyes again to find that he's back...in his cave? It hadn't even been where he was thinking of going, only knowing that he had to get somewhere away from everyone.

His cave is empty now with all of his stuff at Tom and Maddie's house, leaving plenty of room for him to pace and try to get a hold of himself. It reminds him of when he discovered it during his first night on Earth.

"This is a _good_ thing, Sonic. If she really is from the past, then she can't try to make you go back with her!"

He frowns, shaking his head at his 'other self.'

"Not true, she can still make you go back. She'll make you go back to how everything was before anyone knew about you and your powers..."

Back to before he met Tom and Maddie. The thought strikes him sharply right in the middle of his chest, but he does his best to ignore the pain; it's nothing compared to the pain he's caused everyone else these last few weeks.

He laughs out loud to himself. Going back in time to the past? That's crazy!

But why does it sound so...appealing...?

 _I don't want to go, but I can't stay. As long as I'm here, I put everyone in danger,_ he remembers telling Tom on top of the building, even though his mind changed pretty much on the spot once he saw his new room that they'd made for him. He should have stuck to his original plan.

But maybe now he has a second chance...

He reaches into the pouch that he ran to grab before leaving the house.

Taking a deep breath, he brings a ring out and closes his eyes, tossing the ring forward and only opening them again once he's sure the portal is fully open and swirling in front of him. At least there aren't any humans or robots outside to stop him this time.

It's just the same as before, all strange and white and glowing.

Is it really a portal to the past?

He frowns again, forcing answers to come forward. Could he really go back to the past before everything happened? Before he ran to get a flower for Longclaw, before she got shot down with the arrow and had to send him to Earth?

What about Eggman? If he goes to the past, Eggman will no longer be stuck on the Mushroom Planet. He'll still be here on Earth like he had never been banished at all. Sonic thinks it over to the best of his ability, so much so that it feels like his brain itself is starting to hurt. The only reason Eggman ever helped the government try to catch him was because they had been alerted to his presence after his little freak out on the baseball field.

He grips the arrow tightly in his hand. He could prevent all of that from happening. Longclaw wouldn't get hurt. Eggman wouldn't be called by the government and he wouldn't have to race him through the city causing damage everywhere.

It would just be better if everyone forgot he existed, if no one remembers him or his powers.

It would be easier for him if he just...forgets about Tom and Maddie. It wouldn't be as hard. Longclaw would get what she wants and everyone would be happy, just as the way things were before he came into their lives and wrecked everything. He wouldn't have to spend ten years alone...he wouldn't have Tom and Maddie, but he'd have Longclaw. He could go back and fix everything, stop himself from messing up...

Releasing a shuddering breath, he takes a single step forward, but then stops.

He stares at the arrow in his hand again, his grip further tightening around the middle. Staring back up at the portal, he raises his hand as if he's pitching in a baseball game and throws the arrow towards the portal with all his might.

His eyes widen as the arrow vanishes in the glowing white space. Sonic attempts taking another step forward, but stops himself again.

The portal disappears.

He can't go back. Not yet.

Not without Longclaw.

Not without saying goodbye.


	6. Chapter 6

He can't avoid her forever, and Sonic knows it. No matter how much he wants to stay curled up in his own little ball forever, he knows he can't. She's going to wake up at some point and he has to be there when she does so she won't panic too badly. Maybe she already has, and a stab of guilt runs through him. He never should have left like that.

They never should have kept the arrow a secret from him, but he knows deep down they would have told him if he'd only given them a chance and hadn't just run off like that. Letting out a sigh, Sonic takes one last look at his cave; for some reason, it feels like it's the last time he's ever going to see it.

Maybe it is. Sighing, he pats the cave wall fondly with a gloved hand. It might not have been the ideal place to stay for the last ten years, but it was the only thing he'd known all that time. Someplace familiar, almost like a friend he could always count on to be there like he should be there for Tom, Maddie and Longclaw.

It was home.

He trudges through the pitch dark forest anyway, trusting his feet to lead him in the right direction and walking fast, but not too fast. Taking his own pace. He's lived out in the woods for so long, he doesn't even really have to think hard about where to go, especially not Donut Lord's house—his favorite human he loved to 'spy' on the most along with Pretzel Lady.

It isn't until he sees a strange light up ahead that he stops, thankful for the sudden distraction.

No more bear traps. Not any that he can see, at least. Giggling to himself, he zooms past the old man in a straight line. Carl's head shoots up, his flashlight-hat flickering in the hedgehog's speedy shadow.

"I know you're out there," Carl shouts for old time's sake.

Sonic steps into the light from behind the dark of the forest. "No, I'm not."

Maybe he really won't be soon.

The smile that breaks across Crazy Carl's face warms his heart. He almost misses just running off in the other direction, leaving the man to his own devices.

"Hi, Carl," Sonic greets with a smile of his own, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that he should just go straight back to Tom and Maddie. He doesn't want them to worry about him, but he just can't bring himself to head in that particular direction yet. His mind tells him to, but his legs refuse to move.

The smile remains planted on Carl's face. "I still can't believe you're really here. It's like my eyes see the Blue Devil, but my brain isn't registering he's actually real."

In a way, Sonic can't believe it, either. After so many years of messing with Crazy Carl, he still can't believe he's standing right in front of him without a care in the world. Never in a million years did Sonic ever think he'd one day be standing right in front of the old man, having a casual talk with him. He always thought for sure that Carl would be one of the humans who'd rat him out and call the government on him, but surprisingly, Carl is the exact opposite, one of the humans most determined to help keep him safe now. If only Longclaw would be willing to meet Carl and see for herself, but Sonic doubts she'd even be willing.

"What are you doing out here so late? Later than normal, that is?" he asks curiously as Carl becomes distracted, bending to look closely at the leaf-covered ground, the glow on his cap providing enough light to see.

Carl doesn't answer, determined to find whatever it is he's looking for.

"I just couldn't go to sleep, so I decided to take a walk," he says, almost to himself since Carl seems too distracted to talk at the moment. Sonic waits patiently. He isn't in any hurry even though he _should_ be, but procrastination is an art that shouldn't be rushed.

"Still clearing out all these old traps so you don't have to avoid them anymore," Carl finally answers with a grunt, taking a stick that Sonic hadn't realized he was even holding and jabbing it at the ground.

Sonic hardly flinches at the sudden and sharp _clink_ he's all too familiar with thanks to years of running right over them. He already knows well enough the layout of the traps and could easily tell Carl where exactly all of them are, but nope. That's not happening anytime soon; the traps are just so entertaining!

"There you are," Carl praises the bear trap for finally showing itself. Sonic pouts.

"Aw, but the traps are _fun!_ I don't avoid them!" he protests, running fast over another that Carl hasn't seen until now. The new trap clinks, but doesn't succeed at catching a certain blue hedgehog.

Carl doesn't share the same amusement. Not anymore, at least.

"Risking you getting hurt and the sheriff having my head? I don't think that's something that counts as fun."

If only Longclaw could have heard Carl say those words, not that she would ever believe him.

Sonic rolls his eyes. Thankfully, he hasn't told Tom about their late night escapades. Carl might have said a thing or two before Tom knew he was really _real,_ but it's not like the cop had really believed him and Sonic would actually like to keep some semblance of his old life that way.

"Come on, we've been doing this for years. I haven't gotten hurt _once,"_ Sonic tries to reassure him, but Carl shakes his head, the light on his cap flickering.

"I was positive you were real, but _not_ at the same time back then. Now that I know you're very much real, there's a chance you _could_ be hurt and I don't want that happening to the Blue Devil."

"You heard my voice. I was definitely real," Sonic points out, fondly remembering the few times he would actually 'talk' to Carl, yet remain hidden in the woods so the old man wouldn't see him.

"Which didn't exactly help convince everyone that I didn't put the 'crazy' in Crazy Carl. I was positive you did exist, but after so many years of trying and failing to get proof, well...it does wear down on you," Carl says, a tired sigh escaping.

Sonic's ears droop a little in the darkness as Carl turns away, taking whatever light was left on his head with him. The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. It wouldn't just benefit himself, but his friends as well. He takes a chance and runs with it.

"If you had a chance to go back in time—metaphorically speaking, of course—would you take it?"

Carl halts, pausing in his search for more traps to look back at Sonic. "I'm not sure I'm the right person to ask that question."

"So you...would take it?" Sonic asks, tilting his head to the side curiously, unsure.

Carl pauses again for a moment before continuing, settling on an answer for the hedgehog that he's satisfied with. "There's a lot of things in my life I would love to go back and fix, if time travel is even possible. Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

He eyes Sonic somewhat suspiciously. If aliens exist, then time travel must be a reality now, too.

Sonic quickly catches on to what he's thinking. He trusts Carl, but not as much as he trusts Tom and Maddie. He waves his hands back and forth, shaking his head.

"No, no. Strictly metaphorically-speaking as I said," he reassures the man. He feels bad for lying, but it's necessary. If rumors of time travel ever got out, Sonic doesn't like to think of the consequences. Carl keeps his suspicious stare on him for a few moments longer before shaking his head and letting go of the possibility that time travel could indeed be real.

"Well, time travel doesn't exist, so the most we can do is make do with what we got, cherish what we have and try not to lament on past mistakes. If time travel did exist, however..."

Carl's eyes become far away, unseeing. Sonic can tell that he's thinking of a moment in his life that he would really like to return to and possibly fix. Sonic can think of a hundred moments he'd like to redo in his own life, starting at a very young age. He stops himself from thinking about it too hard.

"So you _would_ travel back in time if you had the chance," Sonic gives him a little push to elaborate.

Much to his disappointment, Carl only shrugs. "I would rather live with my past mistakes than going back and never meeting you."

"Thanks...I think," Sonic says, grateful anyway for his 'help' and confusing answer. He's touched all the same.

Carl smiles again. Sonic isn't sure if he's imagining things, but it seems like his question wore the man out from overthinking too much. He can't stop the second wave of guilt that overcomes him.

"Come on, let's get you back home. The sheriff and his wife must be worried sick."

Sonic swallows, a lump forming in his throat. Carl is right—he's caused them enough grief already in more ways than one. Carl puts a gentle hand on his shoulder as if to keep him from going in the wrong direction.

He knows the way from here. He could run if he really wanted to, but he's already done enough running for tonight.

He needs to get back to them—Tom and Maddie.

Home.

But is it really home, like Tom told Eggman? Was it _ever_ really home?

xxxx

"How's she doing?" Tom whispers as they stand watch close by the couch to keep an eye on Longclaw, once again fast asleep. He was a little worried when all of a sudden, her head had dropped back onto her pillow and she'd been hard to rouse.

"She just seems to be really tired. Waking up in an entirely new environment, the flashing lights and talking to us must have worn her out," Maddie whispers back to him. "We'll have to make sure she eats and drinks when she wakes up."

Tom nods, though his mind is focusing on another important matter entirely and Maddie can tell.

"I'm going to find him," he informs her out loud even if he doesn't really need to, turning towards the front door. He has a vague idea of where Sonic might have gone first, but there's still a lot of places he can check and he better get started while Longclaw is still sleeping so Sonic has a chance to be with her when she wakes up this time.

"He's lived in Green Hills longer than we thought, right? He knows these woods like the back of the gloves on his hands," Maddie says softly, peering out the open door. The early hour of dawn seeps in, providing just enough light so Tom can make his way around without tripping over himself. "He's been on his own all that time. I'm sure he's fine."

Instantly, her eyes widen as she realizes what she'd just said. Tom outwardly agrees with her.

"He's been on his own too long." One of the many reasons they'd decided to take him under their wing. To make up for all the lost years when he didn't have _anyone._

"I'll stay with Longclaw in case he comes back. I can't leave her," Maddie says, glancing back towards the sleeping owl.

"He shouldn't be out there alone. He never should have been out there alone all that time."

Before Tom can take another step out the door, he's stopped when he nearly runs into another shape. He looks up to see a familiar face. It takes a moment for him to register _another_ familiar face as his gaze trails down, his eyes lighting up upon meeting with Sonic's. The hedgehog takes his own gaze away from Tom, glancing down and wringing his gloved hands together. Tom realizes that his pouch is hanging over his shoulder and he gives Sonic a questioning stare, but doesn't receive any kind of answer in response. The sheriff figures he deserves that.

"Craz...Carl!" Tom says in mild shock, barely managing to stop himself from finishing Crazy Carl's famous nickname—the last person he expected to see on his doorstep. The man is wearing his flashlight-hat but since dawn is approaching now, the light is no longer needed.

Carl offers a small smile. "Hello, Tom. I was out late tonight and came across the Blue Devil here. Or more specifically, he came across me. Just like old times."

Sonic can't help but grin at that. He really is going to miss messing with the old man the way they used to before Carl knew for sure he truly existed. But his grin fades as he meets Maddie's worried expression, choosing to look in a direction opposite of hers.

"Thanks, Carl. Really. We appreciate it," she says, reaching towards Sonic as an invitation to come inside. He takes it, albeit hesitantly. His shoulder is tight under her comforting touch, but he doesn't try to push her away.

"Anything for the Blue Devil. If you ever feel like you need to talk again, don't hesitate to come back, alright?"

Sonic gives a grateful smile and nods in return. Tom shuts the door and Maddie lets go of him. The officer kneels down to his level before he can even think of any excuses.

"I'm sorry," is all he can think of to say pitifully, refusing to meet Tom's gaze and unable to stop the edges of his eyes from watering. "I woke up and heard you guys arguing over something and went to see what it was and I found t-the-"

He can't bring himself to say the word out loud, but Tom knows exactly what he's talking about. What he and Maddie should have shown him the moment she discovered the arrow in Longclaw's side.

"It's okay," Tom says in a hushed whisper, his heart breaking at the sight of oncoming tears. It's difficult to stop himself from meeting the same fate. "I'm the one who should be sorry. We both are."

They don't even _have_ to say sorry. Sonic forgave them already before they even had a chance to apologize. He could never be mad at his two favorite humans for long.

He looks to Maddie. She knows what he wants to do before they talk any further about anything else, and Tom is just as understanding. She leads them back towards the couch, the light from behind the window seeping in and casting a gentle glow on Longclaw's closed eyes.

"She did wake up and we talked a little, but then she fell back asleep," Tom tells him quietly.

Sonic takes his spot again on the couch before he'd woken up. "What did she say?"

Tom's silence is all he needs to assume the worst.

"She does want to take me back, doesn't she?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Tom assures him, taking hold of the blanket he'd used to tuck Sonic in. "In the meantime, we might as well try to get as much sleep as we can."

"Your hand," he hears Sonic say. The hedgehog points at the bandage that Maddie had wrapped around the spot where Longclaw's talons managed to get him. Tom finishes making sure that Sonic is nice and warm, especially after being out in the cold most of the night.

"Don't worry," he reassures him. It doesn't seem to do much, only earning him a look that's even more worried. "It's just a scratch. Maddie fixed it up."

"She did that, didn't she?"

Tom is surprised at how demanding that came out. He quickly comes to the owl's defense; she honestly hadn't meant it. "Not on purpose."

Even so, Sonic sends the sleeping Longclaw what could almost be considered a death glare that she had ever dared to harm his favorite person but then he seems to catch himself and looks back up at Tom.

"Do you think it's true that she's really from the past?" he decides to ask to steer himself away from the awful fact that Tom had gotten hurt all because he'd _left._

"We'll have to figure it out when she wakes up again."

Sonic is kind of glad that Tom doesn't really have an answer, yet. It seems like he and Maddie are just as much in the dark as he is; he can tell that Tom is being honest, that they didn't get a lot of answers when she was awake. He's not even sure if he should tell him about the weird portal.

"I'm sorry I left," he apologizes again in a mumble. Tom never would have gotten hurt if he hadn't freaked out so much.

Tom is just as guilty. Hiding the arrow hadn't been the best choice. He notices that Sonic doesn't even have it on hand anymore, but he'll have to ask him about that later. "We're sorry for not telling you right away."

"But you were going to tell me," he says, and Tom nods firmly. He knew he could trust Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady. He _knows_ he can, and it just makes the fact that he'd run off without giving them a chance to explain what they'd found even worse.

"Maddie and I are going to try and get some sleep," he whispers, stealing a quick glance at Longclaw as if she might wake up any second. She _could,_ and Tom is sure it's not a good idea to be in the same room again when she does. Sonic agrees, giving silent permission for Tom to leave him by himself, even though he has Longclaw. He's far from alone.

"Good morning," Sonic's voice reaches him before he completely leaves the room. Despite everything that happened, he doesn't sound tired at all and Tom isn't the least bit surprised. He can only wonder what Crazy Carl had been doing out so late.

The small chuckle escapes before he can even stop it. "Good morning. Let us know if she needs any help when she wakes up."

Sonic nods in agreement. It had been their original plan after all that he be the only one there with Longclaw when she woke up and get Tom and Maddie when she was ready to meet them.

Once Tom is gone, Sonic is tempted to put on a movie since it looks like it will be a while before Longclaw wakes up. Maybe the same one they'd watched the day before so he can study how to run on water, the awesome idea refusing to leave his head, but he decides against it. He just can't get himself to leave Longclaw's side, instead preparing himself to ask her all the questions that won't stop racing through his mind, especially the most important one: did she really travel through time? The possibility helps him feel better about the fact that she never came back for him. Maybe she just wasn't _able_ to.

In the back of his mind, he wonders where Ozzy is, but it's probably also for the best that the dog isn't in the room.

The light from the window reflects onto his face, and he has to look away from the sun. Shuffling next to him puts him on edge, afraid for a split second that Eggman has somehow returned from the Mushroom Planet, but that's impossible. For now, anyway, until they get the whole time travel thing figured out. In a way, Sonic hopes they never do.

"Longclaw?" he whispers, heart pounding faster than it ever has before; he's sure Maddie would panic if she felt his pulse now.

He thought he would want to run away again, but it's the exact opposite.

He can't run. Not again. His legs won't let him. They're just as numb as they had been when Tom shot him with the tranquilizer. He leans over a little so they can see each other better. He thought he'd have a million things to say, but whatever he'd wanted to ask refuses to come out.

Green eyes open slowly to stare into his own. Despite everything, he can't help but smile into his reflection.

"Sonic...?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is safe and well! I'm actually kind of excited that Sonic is getting an earlier digital release in the midst of all this panic!

He told Sonic that he and Maddie would try and get some sleep, but sleep is the last thing on his mind.

Key word: Try.

Is Longclaw awake again yet? If she is, what are they talking about? If Longclaw tells Sonic anything like what she told him, he's not sure how the space hedgehog will take it. He knows Sonic doesn't want to leave, but how will he react to Longclaw telling him that they have to go? Tom can only hope that he doesn't run away again.

He decides to make an attempt to distract himself and his wife while they wait with bated breath.

"What do you think is next? Talking raccoons? Rats?" he murmurs to Maddie, snuggled up comfortably together under their bed sheets with Ozzy curled up at their feet. Sonic had run off before they could get changed into night clothes and go to bed, but Tom insisted not changing into pajamas until Longclaw is taken care of. He's not about to let an alien owl see what he sleeps in, and Maddie had hesitantly agreed even though she thought it would be very entertaining to see Longclaw's reaction to her husband's pajamas.

"I know Sonic loves Rocket, but the rats in Ratatouille couldn't actually talk to the humans, remember? They could only talk to each other." Maddie reminds him. The rats in the movie could talk to and understand each other, but humans couldn't understand them. Kind of like Homeward Bound where the animals understood one another, but the humans couldn't understand them. With Sonic now in their lives, she's been wondering if it's the same way with animals in real life. She supposes it wouldn't be too far off, especially knowing what they know. It's like their life has become a talking animal movie itself and surprisingly, Maddie finds herself perfectly okay with that.

Tom almost wishes he could go back to not knowing aliens exist, and that they look suspiciously like regular Earth animals. Longclaw, anyway.

Almost. He wouldn't change a thing.

"Oh yeah, you're right. There could still be alien rats somewhere out there, though. So what do you think?"

Maddie settles into quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful before she speaks her mind.

"Hmm...I'm betting my money on foxes," she finally answers. Ozzy glances up at her from across the bed, letting out a soft yip in what could nearly be considered agreement.

Tom almost laughs, but he holds it in. Out of all animals, foxes actually seem the most plausible for some reason he can't place.

"Foxes? Why?" he asks, curious about why the fox out of all animals is her answer.

"Just a feeling," she says, putting a hand on his chest. Silence overtakes the two. Ozzy decides to get up from the end of the bed, taking the opportunity to snuggle up in between them. She moves her arm from the officer's chest to scratch the golden behind his ears.

They can't avoid it anymore. They can't just assume that once Longclaw is okay, they'll be able to convince her that Sonic is better off on Earth with them. Tom had barely been able to convince her when she'd woken up, and he doubts the owl's mind is going to be changed easily, if at all. Tom stares at the bedroom door, tempted to open it and see if Longclaw is even awake yet. If she and Sonic are talking. He probably should have waited to try convincing her himself when she just woke up, wondering if he wrecked Sonic's chances of trying to convince her, himself.

Maybe they shouldn't even be thinking of trying to convince her. Maybe the owl is right, maybe Sonic should just...they should just let Longclaw take—

 _Do you really think you know what's best for him?_ Longclaw's words intrude harshly in his mind. He still doesn't have a clear answer on that. He wants to think he does, but he has to be honest with himself. _They_ have to be honest with themselves, no matter how much they don't want to admit it.

"Maddie," he starts, but she shakes her head, beating him to it.

"Tom...what are we going to do if Longclaw still wants him to go with her?"

Go _where_ is the question. Or when, more specifically. She hadn't come through the portal from Sonic's original world, so where would she even be taking him back to? _When_ would she even be taking him back to, if she even did time travel in the first place? It's silly to think, let alone talk about it, but now that they know the truth about intelligent life on other planets, time travel doesn't seem so far out there. The next question is _how._ If Longclaw doesn't have any rings of her own, how did she travel wherever she came from to Earth? Then again, Sonic's rings could be another option.

The sheriff lets out a tired sigh. He _is_ tired and wants to get some rest like he told Sonic he and Maddie were going to try and do, but he just can't sleep. How can he sleep with everything that's happening, or will happen?

"Nothing much we can do. This isn't something we can take to court," he mumbles almost humorlessly, staring up at the blank ceiling. He almost laughs at the idea of bringing a blue alien hedgehog and a huge owl to court and the look on the judge's face. Before the government would step in and ruin everything that was already about to be ruined if they don't do something and soon.

"Good point," Maddie returns softly with a sigh, following his gaze until they settle on the same spot, lost in their own thoughts together. If Sonic was a human kid, _their_ human kid, then maybe it would be different. They'd fight tooth and nail for him in whatever situation that tried to force them apart, but it's just as Tom said—there's nothing they can really do. The court wouldn't understand, the government definitely wouldn't understand.

It's absolutely heartbreaking, but there's no way they can make Sonic's 'adoption' official. No words had been said between the three of them, but they all knew it the moment Sonic saw his new room in the attic. The attic—a place that's his and his alone for him to feel welcome and comfortable, but a place he still has to hide away from prying eyes that would be all too willing to bring harm to him. The residents of Green Hills are surprisingly more than accepting, especially Crazy Carl, but what Longclaw had told him rings harshly through his mind once again.

_There will always be someone after him. This world will always be in danger as long as he's here. He could be taken one day without you knowing._

It isn't even Earth—their own planet—that he's worried about, but the more he thinks about it, maybe he should be. Sonic had defeated that crazy guy Robotnik, and Tom is sure he could do it again. He mentally smacks himself for even thinking that way. Earth shouldn't ever ask that much of Sonic. He's not obligated to save their planet over and over like most superheroes have to do.

The young space hog is just that—a little kid who shouldn't bear the weight of the world on his shoulders like that, even if Tom is pretty sure he'd be willing to lay down his life again for Green Hills if a time like Robotnik ever comes up again. The hedgehog won't like it, but Tom vows never to let Sonic try and handle something like that by himself even if he has complete faith that his alien friend can handle things such as Robotnik perfectly fine on his own, especially when Sonic is angry and his green eyes turn blue and electricity shoots in every direction from his body.

Tom smiles faintly, remembering how he'd told the town to back away and just let Sonic do his thing.

Is it really fair to think he'd be able to take on anything like that again? The government still knows he exists. They want to know more about him, and what if Sonic has to save Green Hills again, especially from something or someone potentially worse than Robotnik? The government will _definitely_ know for sure that he exists. Tom knows the answer to that one already.

Taking his gaze away from the ceiling, he strains along with Maddie to hear what's going on outside the bedroom door, but no sounds emerge from the other side. Sonic and Longclaw just seem to be having a very quiet conversation, and the possibilities as to what exactly the two are talking about is endless. It's been years since Sonic has seen her, so Tom hopes the kid has some real quality time with her before they get down to the heart of the matter.

"If Longclaw wants to take him back with her to wherever she came from, we just have to..."

"Let him go?" Maddie finishes for him, hesitant. She doesn't want it to happen just as much as him. "But what if he doesn't want to go like he told you?"

Tom's stomach flips as he remembers what Sonic had told him up in the attic. The pleading look on his face and in his tone as he'd practically begged him to come up with ideas so Longclaw won't take him away still clenches at his heart. "It's probably for the best. We keep forgetting he's an actual alien, Maddie. Maybe that Robotnik guy was right."

The crazy government weirdo's words join with Longclaw's, both sides making good points in their own ways.

_"He was just a silly little alien. He didn't belong here!" Robotnik had shouted towards the crowd as Sonic lay lifeless and beaten in the middle of the street._

_The last time Tom thought he would ever see him. After everything they went through together in such a short amount of time, Sonic was...gone. Maddie confirms he's really gone just by looking at his still body, his chest that isn't rising up and down like it should, but Tom figures that maybe there's something he can do. He can stand up to Robotnik himself and put a stop to it, convince the guy that Sonic was more than just a silly little alien._

_He was his friend._

"But he does belong here. With us," Maddie says firmly, though her voice is quivering slightly. Tom pulls her closer to him, their foreheads almost touching. "No one agreed with that person who doesn't even exist anymore according to the government."

Tom squeezes his eyes shut, and Maddie copies the action the more he goes on. "Longclaw is right, too. She and Robotnik are entirely different, but they almost think the same way and maybe we should, too. We have to put Sonic's safety and needs first before or own."

Maddie opens her eyes, Tom following suit.

"I forgot to show you something from our road trip," he says to her, moving to get up from the bed. "To tell you the truth, I kind of forgot I had it, but I did keep it all this time. I gotta get a pen."

He makes sure to be quiet all the while, returning just as soon as he left with his hand gripped tightly around something, yet gentle enough to make sure it won't be ruined.

"What is it?" she asks, trying to get a better look.

Tom takes his spot in the bed again next to her. Another moment later as if to prepare himself, he opens his hand to reveal a piece of paper with a list written on it.

"His bucket list," he explains, handing it to her so she can read it.

"I don't remember you telling me anything about a list," she says, her eyes trailing up and down the crossed out lines.

"These are all the things he wanted to do before leaving Earth," Tom says. It was completely unexpected that Sonic would get to do all of the things on his list and more after he decided to stay.

Maddie finally lands on the most important line that _hasn't_ been crossed out, and she has to stop and take a breath in and out slowly.

_Make a real friend._

Her heart melts and drops at the same time.

Tom breathes in, following her rhythmic pattern and she squeezes his shoulder as he crosses it off with the pen, glancing back at her with a regretful stare.

"I should have done it sooner."

If he could go back in time and do over when he told Sonic they weren't best friends, he would. He would cross off that part of the list a lot sooner.

 _He was my friend,_ his words to Robotnik echo fondly.

If he could go back in time and change his statement to Robotnik, he would. His answer would be much different, but it wouldn't make any difference.

Sonic isn't their child. They can't decide what's best for him, and neither can he. The hedgehog may have survived on his own in the woods for ten years, but that was before anyone knew he even existed and now the entirety of Green Hills knows. Though everyone made a silent pact not to let anyone outside of town know about their alien 'mascot,' Longclaw had made a good point that someone might not be able to help themselves. The truth is going to get out one day sooner or later whether they want it to or not.

They have to do what's best for him, even if he might not understand. Even if he doesn't want to go away and leave the behind. All they want is for him to be safe, and Earth is no longer a safe world for him. He didn't want to go to the Mushroom Planet, but even that world may have been the safer option once the power outage happened. Tom is glad that Sonic had chosen him out of all people to hide in his garage, to trust in a life or death situation and give him a chance to prove himself as a real cop.

He would—

The first sign of any interaction going on between Sonic and Longclaw emerges at last from behind the door.

Shouting.

It only takes them a moment before realization suddenly hits. The louder voice doesn't sound like Longclaw's gentle tone at all. Tom and Maddie share a look with each other, their eyes widening at the same time.

_Sonic._

In the weeks they've taken getting to know him better, he never raises his voice, not even if he's angry. If he's ever upset, it usually comes out in an uncertain whisper as he tries to hold back tears. If he even wants to tell them what happened or what's on his mind, that is. If he doesn't run away like he'd done when he discovered the arrow they hid from him.

Tom is out of bed before he can even think clearly about his actions, Maddie following in just as much of a rush behind him and Ozzy hot on her heels. The sheriff can't resist any longer and neither can she, nearly tripping over herself as they race back towards the couch.

Maddie stops in her tracks before completely entering the room, and Tom can hear her breath catch. She motions for him to come into the room along with her, raising a finger to her mouth to signal that he should be quiet and both taking careful steps so as not to disturb the two occupants inside.

He's greeted with the sight of Sonic snuggled on top of Longclaw's chest, her good wing wrapped tightly around his little body in a warm embrace to keep him from falling off the couch. He's trembling all over, his eyes shut tight, but Longclaw manages to calm him down by gently stroking his head in between his ears with her other wing. He grips the pouch of rings tightly in one hand, refusing to let go.

Longclaw glances up at the both of them, smiling softly. She turns to move and wrap her other wing tighter around Sonic. Maddie takes a step forward, subconsciously reaching an arm forward.

"Don't—"

Longclaw shakes her head, her eyes trailing downwards. Maddie follows.

The sling is off, lying carelessly on the floor. Ozzy's tail wags as he bends down to pick it up in his mouth, bringing it towards Maddie.

She gasps as her own eyes widen upon making the connection, her hands closing tightly around it. "Your wing. It's healed."

"My side feels better as well," Longclaw informs her, feeling the bandage wrapped around her with her former bad wing; it's like nothing had ever happened to it. In spite of her confusion, Maddie makes a mental note to help her take the side bandage off later if she's willing to allow any help from her at all.

"How?" Tom breathes, double checking his hand just to make sure the bandage is still there.

If her wing is healed now so fast, then that means Sonic...

Sonic himself blinks wearily, his normally bright eyes dull and brimming over with unreleased tears. He doesn't even look surprised that Longclaw's wing is suddenly all better.

"I think I know how," the hedgehog admits slowly.

He holds up the pouch of rings, something akin to regret lining his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, you'll get to see Sonic and Longclaw's argument next chapter ;) And also, did it bother anyone that we never got to see Tom cross off 'make a real friend' on his bucket list? Because I'm pretty sure that happened by the end of the movie :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all prepared for what you've probably been prepared for since chapter 4...

The first thing he wants to do is throw himself forward to envelop her in a big hug. He hasn't hugged her in so long, not like he used to do when he was so much younger and smaller. But he has to remind himself to be as gentle as he can so as not to aggravate her injuries while they're only just starting to heal. He still fights the urge to run, remaining planted on the couch despite how much he just wants to get out of there and never come back, something he knows he can't do or he'll regret it the rest of his life.

"Is-is it really you?" Sonic nearly demands, his voice coming out in little more than a shocked whisper. Of course he knows it's her, but now that she's awake, it's all he can do to double check and make sure he's not just imagining things, that he hadn't just dreamed the night on the baseball field and the portal that opened up, Longclaw appearing not long after. Instead of a demand, it only comes out in a small, relieved laugh.

Relief that she's actually here with him, that she's okay when he originally thought she wasn't, pushing aside his main concern of going back with her to wherever she came from for now and his confusion of their time travel theory melting away so he can focus on her gentle face. All he wants to do is simply be with her, something he never thought he'd get to do ever again after he had disobeyed her instructions to stop running.

_Running fast when he's not even supposed to, curling up into a ball and ramming himself right into her chest, surprising her enough to get her to wake up so he can show her what he found that made him think of her, that he thought she would love just as much as he does..._

She smiles, and that oh so familiar smile comes rushing back to him in just as much of a blur as his thoughts. Wrapped in her wings, holding him close enough to her chest that he can hear her heart beat, lulling him to sleep like a lullaby.

"I can't believe you're really here!" he laughs again, resisting the urge to throw his arms around her neck, just as he used to do when he was small.

Her voice is music to his ears, her voice he hasn't heard in so long and that he never thought he'd hear again. Only in his dreams—mostly nightmares of himself running towards the portal and not being able to reach her in time. The dreams he has of just being with her before she ever had to send him away are rare, even more so the ones where she actually makes it out alive without any injuries. Now he knows that she did make it out, but she still has injuries. Her wing and side are both hurt and in bad shape because of _his_ dumb mistake not listening to her when he should have. She wouldn't be hurt right now if he had never gone to get that stupid flower for her.

"Sonic, I-how? You've gotten so much bigger since the last time I saw you!"

_Time._

Time is really the last thing he wants to think about right now, the endless possibilities running through his mind enough to give him a headache.

The only thing he can do is smile back at her, still hardly able to believe she's right next to him. Confusion envelopes her features as she looks him over. How had her little hoglet gotten so big so quickly?

Now that he thinks about it, Longclaw doesn't look any different at all from the last time he saw her, either. She looks just as young as she did when she hurried him through the portal. No graying feathers, nothing that would indicate she's gotten any older over the ten years she's been gone. For now though, maybe he should just pretend that time travel has nothing to do with her sudden return.

"I missed you so much," he says, bringing himself back to the present. He really shouldn't be thinking of silly things like time travel when it might turn out not to be true at all.

"And I you," she replies, her tone warm enough to calm his barely hidden shivers. "I thought I would never see you again."

"Same here," he instantly agrees, faintly wondering what Tom and Maddie are doing right now. Probably sleeping like Tom said they would try to. More than anything, he wants to go to their room and let them know that Longclaw is finally awake so he can reintroduce the three of them, but it's probably better to wait. "I saw those things coming right at you. I tried to go back, I really did, but I-"

He stops short, shaking his head and refusing to allow his eyes to become puddles. He can't cry in front of her.

_I was too slow._

He _won't._ He's supposed to be happy that she somehow came back just when everything in his life is starting to go right instead of wrong for once. He shouldn't be focusing on the fact that she already talked to Tom when he wasn't there and obviously wants to take him away from everything and everyone he's known for the last ten years—

He doesn't even realize she's making soft _shhh_ noises until it finally reaches his ears, just like she used to do when he was little and crying over something stupid.

"The only thing that matters is that you're safe," Longclaw tells him softly. "They didn't get you and you weren't hurt."

_But you were and it's all my fault. It's all my fault you're hurt, that your wing is broken._

"...Why didn't you come back for me?" he whispers instead, forcing the harshly intruding thoughts down. He turns away from her, mentally preparing himself for what he might hear next. He needs to know, he _has_ to know.

Longclaw's voice remains hushed, and he finds himself melting inside of it. All of his fears and worries of her intentionally not coming back to find him dissipate the more she goes on. His heart lifts, his shoulders feeling less heavy.

"I regretted sending you away the moment you went through that portal. I knew it was a mistake. You were so young, so defenseless. You were fast, but what if you became tired and a human or an animal got to you?"

Yes, the big animals did try to go after him, but they never managed to get him. He's just too fast for them.

He waves a hand dismissively. She doesn't need to know about that. "Pfft. I _never_ get tired."

He never has and he never will despite what Donut Lord says about how he gets when he's tired, not even in his race against Eggman through the city when the evil doctor could somehow keep up with him. Maybe he did a little after being blasted through the last portal to fight Eggman, but that was only because he'd gotten knocked out. He'd gotten right back up to defeat the scientist once Donut Lord called him his...he cuts off that line of thought before it can overwhelm him even more against all the others. He has more important things to worry about than what Donut Lord thinks of him. What _he_ thinks of Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady, as well.

 _What if it's true? What if it's possible she did travel through time? No, it's not. She didn't, it's impossible,_ he inwardly screams to himself. He needs to just focus on the time he has with Longclaw now.

Opening the strange portal, throwing the arrow inside and seeing it vanish into thin air all say otherwise, that something bigger is going on than he (and probably Donut Lord, too) both realize.

He has to double check and make _sure,_ however stupid and crazy the theory seems.

"How did you get here?" he manages to let out uncertainly and trying the best he can to keep himself together. Tom might have asked her the same question, but he needs to know himself as he attempts to piece everything together like one giant, confusing puzzle. "We saw you come through the portal, but..."

"To be honest, I am not sure. The last thing I remember is sending you through the portal, but it seems I came through another portal to get here. I have no rings of my own, Sonic. Even if I did, I would not have tried. One minute I was saying goodbye to you, the next I came through the other portal that led here to Earth."

He does his best to listen, he really does, trying and failing to find any clues in her vague and confusing explanation, but no answers come forth. They _can't_ in the middle of the fog and hurt that threaten to consume him.

It stabs him right in the chest. So even if she did have rings, she wouldn't have come back for him? The frown emerges before he can even think of hiding it.

"But you just said that you regretted—"

She stops him before he can complete that sentence, however much he wants to. She can't possibly mean that she would have intentionally left him behind on purpose when she just _said.._.

"Sonic, please. You have to understand," she begins, not one ounce of regret filtering through like he thought it would. She remains poised and firm like she always was when raising him. If he hadn't been so _stupid,_ he wouldn't have had to grow up alone and miserable without her. She wouldn't have had to make the choice not to come back.

The only thing that stops the blue sparks from coming out is her excuse as to why she wouldn't come back in the first place.

"They would have tried to follow me if I had gone through with you. They have certain...ways they can track us. It's dangerous for me just to be here right now."

Sonic quiets, trying to ignore the little voice in his head saying he should tell her of the possibility that she might have traveled through space and time to get here. Thinking in Back to the Future logic, what must have felt like only minutes or seconds to her (just without a time machine,) time passed by normally for him and everyone else in the span of ten years. Almost like how time works differently on one planet and then another. Another planet that Longclaw is all too eager to return to.

"Sonic...we have to go back," she says firmly, glancing up and around at the house suspiciously. Sonic can't believe it. Even after Tom and Maddie had helped her, she still doesn't trust them. How much more will it take? If Sonic has to guess, probably nothing. Nothing that Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady do will ever get Longclaw to change her mind about humans. They aren't the kind of humans she ever would have expected to be on Earth, but they are. Nice humans exist when she originally thought they didn't, pushing her beliefs onto his so he wouldn't even think of trying to find help upon his arrival to a lonely ten years of existence.

"We can use the rings I gave you again," she says, reaching her good wing forward.

 _No._ Eyes widening in horror, he glances at the pouch wrapped around his shoulder. He forgot to hide them again before she woke up! Taking the rings into a careful and protective grip, he shields them from Longclaw's wing, ready to grab them any second.

He won't let her.

The rigid and harsh tone that falls out of his mouth surprises even him, especially towards the one he's talking to. Sure, he never really listened to her back on the island, but he never really got angry or yelled at her either. There may have been a moment or two when he lost his temper at not being able to go outside that often, but those moments were few and far between. She always found ways to make him feel better, to put him back in his place in the most inconspicuous ways that little him had never picked up on. So he'd never want to go back outside until that one fateful day.

"Where were you when I woke up?"

He should have been there. He should have been there to stop her from hurting Tom. He wouldn't have a bandage wrapped around his hand now if it hadn't been for _him._

Thinking fast, he uses the excuse that he'd told Carl. He's not sure how to explain the arrow himself, anyway. "Out for a walk. I just couldn't sleep."

"Did you run away from them?"

Dang it, she knows him too well even after all the years they've been separated.

"Yes...no! Kind of." Going back over it in his head, he did run from Donut Lord, but not because of anything bad he'd done to him. It was only because of what he had _hidden_ in the kitchen. Now he knows how Tom and Maddie felt as he tries to come up with his own explanation.

"Have they hurt you?" she asks, looking him over for any signs that they had done such a thing.

Of course the first thing that comes into her mind is that Tom and Maddie would _hurt_ him.

"No, they've done anything but hurt me. _You_ didn't have to hurt Donut Lord," he shoots back, stunning her into silence. "He may have shot me with a sleepy gun, but—"

Her eyes widen, and he immediately (physically) smacks himself in the middle of the face.

 _Nice one,_ he scolds himself. _Now she's never going to trust him._

"But it was only once! It's how we met for real!" Who knew getting shot with a tranquilizer would be one of his fondest memories?

"I did not mean to hurt this 'Donut Lord,'" she confirms what Tom had told him quietly after a moment, her eyes still suspicious and angry that he ever had any kind of gun at all near him. "He should not have been so close."

"He was just trying to help. Why can't you just give them a _chance?"_

"You know why we can't do that, Sonic."

"No, why _you_ can't do that." His volume level rises, reminding him of when he'd lost his temper with Tom after learning the cop was going to leave Green Hills. It was just the one time and he hasn't allowed it to happen ever since he was welcomed into his new home. Tom seems to have forgotten all about it and the 'Jerk-lord' name he'd called him as well. They both apologized and made up, and Tom decided to stay the same as he decided to stay on Earth. Sonic isn't going to jeopardize him leaving again because of him and a lame argument he never should have brought up in the police car.

He has to keep it together, he can't allow himself to lose it like that again and risk Longclaw getting hurt with his powers.

Once was enough.

"I already have given them a chance. They helped me escape Eggman and the government," he tries desperately, willing to highlight every little good thing about Tom and Maddie and all they've done for him. Longclaw isn't going to be swayed that easily, but he's up for the challenge. "They don't want to use my powers like he wanted to."

"Eggman?" Longclaw can't recall the man telling her anything about an Eggman. If he's trying to keep secrets from her, he'll soon regret it.

 _Stupid!_ Sonic scolds himself. He probably shouldn't have said anything. If he mentions anything about the road trip, it's most likely just going to make her even more worried and not able to trust Tom and Maddie.

"We don't have to worry about him anymore. He's gone," he tries to assure her, knowing it's probably not going to be any use.

He's right, her brow furrowing in just as much worry and anger that he'd ever been put in harm's way at all.

"I sent you here so you would be safe. It seems that I was wrong."

If Tom wasn't able to convince her, how will he, the only one she feels she can trust?

"I tried other worlds, but there was always someone after me on those, too. I've been on Earth the longest, it's safest for me here even with humans knowing about me. They're all keeping me safe and protecting me."

She obviously doesn't agree, sticking to the plan she has in mind for them both. Even _one_ human knowing about him is one too many. "There are more worlds we can try."

Hopping from world to world just doesn't sound appealing. He's been there, done that. He doesn't want to have to move from planet to planet all the time, running not because he wants to, but because he _has_ to. One of the reasons he never left Earth was because it was so easy to hide from the unsuspecting residents of Green Hills. They wouldn't know he existed now if he hadn't been stupid and freaked out on the baseball field. He wouldn't have had to try going to the Mushroom Planet, only to fail and send Eggman there, instead.

Maybe a different tactic might work, but it sounds insane even to him. She'll never go through with it, but it's better than sitting here doing nothing to better his chances of staying on Earth where he belongs. He likes to imagine it _could_ work, though. Longclaw could become just as much a part of the Wachowski home as he is. He can take her to meet everyone, even Crazy Carl, show her all of his favorite places to go and things to do...

"You can stay here with us!" he says, hopefully convincing enough.

Far from it.

"I can't," she answers back with little thought. If only she would listen, but then again, he never listened to her. She has every right not to listen to him. Still, he can't give up so easily.

"Why not?"

"Who are they?" she demands, and he almost shrinks back. She's trying to change the subject—

"They're my par-"

He stops in his tracks, hopefully backtracking fast enough for Longclaw not to notice what he'd almost said.

"They're my friends. Best friends. Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady," he confirms.

_I knew them way before they knew me thanks to watching them all those years. All those years I spent hiding in the background because of something you said I should do._

Never stop running.

He had, and for a long time. Longer than was _needed._

Maybe...maybe if he just _shows_ her what he's found here instead of trying to convince her to stay with them...

"I-I want to show you my new room. They made it just for me, it's up in the attic where I'm perfectly safe—"

"We don't belong here, Sonic," Longclaw says firmly. It takes a lot for him not to yell right then and there. He holds it back, but the urge remains.

It doesn't last long.

"There's no 'we' as far as I'm concerned."

Everything from the last ten years boils over. Being alone all that time when he never had to be as he only recently realized. He could have found help during his first night on Earth. Maybe Tom and Maddie would have found him eventually, or maybe he would have run into them. He knows one thing for sure: they would have helped him. They would _never_ do anything to hurt him.

"You made me leave! If you hadn't gotten sent here somehow, you said you wouldn't have tried to come back for me if you did have any rings! I stayed here on Earth for ten years alone when I never had to be, because I can trust everyone in Green Hills. I know I can, but you won't because...because I don't know why!"

He wants to say it again. Those three words that he'd said when he was alone in his room with Ozzy, but he just can't bring himself to. Not when she's actually here in person. It would only make things worse.

He shakes his head frantically, the tears refusing to be held back now. He can't restrain them anymore.

"I was alone all that time and it was _all your fault_ because I listened to what you told me to do!"

He almost doesn't notice it, but the faint brush of sudden air against his arm is unmistakable. Where had it come from? He chooses to ignore it, turning back towards Longclaw to face the issue at hand. Tom might not have been able to convince her, but he can. He has to try keeping it together, but he's _failing_ and she's going to force him to leave again, they're going to leave him—

Longclaw jerks away from the sharpness of his voice like she's been slapped, guilt instantly overcoming him. He shuts up, refusing to say another word. He should just shut up for the rest of his life.

If she just got hurt again because of him...

But no. She's just as confused, lifting up her previously-bad and now healed wing.

Sonic only stares, unsure of what to make of the strange phenomenon.

"It's all better. How?"

She doesn't have an answer, and it isn't like he was expecting her to.

He blinks once and then twice, three times to make sure he isn't just seeing things. But no, Longclaw stretches the wing to make sure, and she finds she's able to move it freely without any kind of pain. She sits up on the couch, as if waiting for something.

His lower lip trembles and he crashes into her without second thought, no longer afraid of bringing her any harm and melting into her familiar touch, a touch he hasn't felt in so long, that he hasn't realized how much he _missed_ until now as her formerly damaged wing caresses the top of his head. Until now, he hasn't fully realized just how much all he needed was a simple _hug._ How long has it been since he was last hugged? He can't remember. He gave Tom a high five, but that was it. He's still getting used to touch after all that time alone, but he hadn't realized just how much he needed and missed it. Closing his eyes, he squeezes his arms around her middle tighter, both wings offering him warmth.

 _Mom,_ he so desperately wants to say, but the short yet meaningful word remains trapped inside his mouth. He can't say it out loud, he remembers the rules and how she never wanted him to call her that. She's his Obi-Wan Kenobi, his mentor.

Not that _other_ thing.

She's just Longclaw.

Just like Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady are just Tom and Maddie.

"Don't go," he whimpers pathetically instead, holding on tight. His first hug in _ten years,_ he realizes, and he doesn't want it to ever end. "Please, please don't go. I promise I'll be good. I'll listen to whatever you say."

He's not going to try and convince her anymore. It's useless. Why bother?

She won.

"Shhh," she whispers softly to him, his ears twitching slightly every time her wing runs between them. "Shhh. It's alright. It's alright. I'm not going anywhere."

He's not sure if he believes her that everything is alright because it's really _not,_ but for the moment, it's enough to calm him down. It always worked when he was little and it's no different now.

"I'm never going to let anything happen to you again."

If anything, he's the one who should be saying that to _her,_ not the other way around, but he's too tired to argue. He'll never get tired from running like he'd assured her, but the day has only just started and he's already worn out. He makes a silent promise to himself that he's not going to allow anything to happen to her ever again.

The sound of hurried footsteps reach his ears, and his eyes blink open again before he can truly fall into a deep sleep. He must have been shouting louder than he thought.

Tom and Maddie appear, Ozzy close behind. In all the fuss, Longclaw's sling had slipped off along with the bandage holding her wing in place. The dog eagerly brings it to Maddie, tail wagging.

"How?" Tom asks, double checking his hand just to make sure the bandage is still there.

"I think I know how," Sonic admits slowly, holding up the pouch of rings and unable to stop the regret from crossing his face as everything clicks together.

The portal—it has to do with the weird portal he'd opened.

He'd thrown the arrow inside of it.

He says the same thing out loud, if only to help him process it all better while holding Longclaw close the entire time. He does his best to explain it so all of them can understand.

"I opened a portal to where she came from and threw the arrow inside and it disappeared, so maybe in the past, Longclaw was never shot by the arrow."

That can't be the only reason. Longclaw would still be hurt now if the arrow was sent back into the past by him, right? He might be hesitant. He might want to stay and never leave his friends behind, but he already knew his decision the moment that arrow disappeared in the portal.

"I opened a portal to where she came from and threw the arrow inside and it disappeared, so maybe in the past, Longclaw was never shot by the arrow," Sonic says again like it's his _first_ time saying it and he hadn't said it only moments ago.

Tom almost has to do a double take as Sonic disappears for just a split second, reappearing soon after he'd left. Tom is used to it by now, Sonic has done it plenty of times before. But why would he leave the room now and come back like that so suddenly? He looks to Maddie, wondering if she saw the same thing and if he isn't just losing his mind after all he's discovered these last few weeks. She seems just as confused as him.

Didn't Sonic already say that?

He shakes off the confusion, staring at the sight before him on the couch.

At Sonic still curled into a ball on top of Longclaw's chest, clutching her feathers for dear life. Glancing at Maddie, he can tell she's thinking the same thing.

 _Do you really think you know what's best for him?_ the owl's words echo back at him once again the same that they've been doing since she said them, not as harsh.

In that moment, they both do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any theories as to what's going on??


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who saw the deleted scenes?!! Longclaw actually made it to Earth with baby Sonic, I did not expect that! (I may have added a reference or two in this chapter)

Tom checks his bandage for the fifth time, positive that he's going to start disappearing from existence at any second just like Marty McFly. Maddie is still standing next to him, her hands inspecting the mysterious sling that had fallen off to reveal a perfectly healed wing. Things like that just don't _happen,_ but it just did.

He's positive that he hadn't changed into his work clothes yet, but here he is in his officer outfit and it's the same for Maddie, too.

All he knows is _something_ just happened and it wasn't natural. Or maybe it was. Maybe there's some kind of natural alien thing going on and they just can't see it yet. He honestly wouldn't be surprised.

"What if we can travel to the past using the portal?" Sonic pipes up again while holding the bag of rings up as he remains cuddled close to Longclaw. If it wasn't such a personal moment that he doesn't want to interrupt, the urge to take a screenshot with his phone is almost overwhelming but he doubts Longclaw would like having her picture taken, throwing the thought aside with the rest of the clutter against his mind.

"You're saying we can open the portal again?" Tom asks, glancing towards Maddie. So _that's_ what Sonic had been doing when he ran off. The hedgehog wants answers just as much as they do, but Tom is glad that he hadn't just gone through the portal without second thought.

"And possibly time travel using said portal. The arrow disappeared when I threw it inside," Sonic says, and Tom's eyes widen. He tries to picture the same portal that he saw on the field and the arrow disappearing inside, but his head hurts the harder he tries to think about it. Time travel movies have always given him a bit of a headache, but this is real life. Two very different things, and one that he's absolutely not prepared for the same as he hadn't been prepared to save an alien hedgehog's life.

"I'm sorry. I just really wanted to know..." Sonic murmurs, bringing the bag closer to his chest as if to protect it from Longclaw, afraid that she'll try to take it from him.

Not on Tom Wachowski's watch. Longclaw said she wants to leave right away once her wing heals and now that it unexpectedly _is,_ he won't let her just take Sonic from them. At least not without...not without saying...

It's too painful to even think about. Funny how just a few weeks ago, he wanted nothing more than for Sonic to go through the portal to the Mushroom Planet and be out of his life for good, but now it's the exact opposite.

"No, no, it's probably a good thing you tried testing it out before..." Tom trails off, unable to bring himself to finish that horrible, lingering thought.

Before. Before what? Sonic thinks he gets the gist of it, but he doesn't _like_ it. His mind might be made up, but he wants to stall as much as possible.

Longclaw looks back and forth between the two, obviously very confused. She hasn't had the chance yet to watch any movies about it, but Sonic is immediately enthralled at the thought of showing her his favorite films. Speed might not be the best idea, but that has nothing to do with the situation currently at hand.

"Time travel?" she asks, a little more than hesitant.

"Going forward or backwards between one time and the other. The future or the past," Sonic explains to the best of his ability so she understands, gripping her feathers tighter like he's afraid he'll fall off her chest. Longclaw doesn't seem to mind at all, trying to make sense of what he's saying with little success.

She glances towards Tom. _What crazy ideas have you been filling his head with?_

 _Don't look at me,_ he quips back without actually saying a word. It's rare when Sonic wants to watch a movie other than Speed, but when Back to the Future had been on TV one night and Sonic had immediately sat down to watch, already knowing nearly every line word for word, Tom had figured that it was just because he'd watched it with he and Maddie countless times when he was still 'spying' on them behind their backs during movie night.

"I think we can go back in time to before you got shot with the arrow. I can stop my younger self from running outside when I wasn't supposed to..."

It's starting to make sense to Longclaw, but just barely.

She realizes suddenly that Sonic just stopped talking and Tom becomes just as worried, glancing down to see Sonic in his curled position...fast asleep.

Out like a light. Longclaw shoots Tom a worried look, gliding a wing gently over Sonic's head. He doesn't move an inch, his eyes squeezed shut and refusing to open.

"It's okay. He's done this before, it's how he gets when he's just really tired," Tom reassures Longclaw. Maddie nods in agreement, smiling softly.

"He told me he never gets tired," Longclaw says, making sure her movements are light enough so he won't be woken up.

Tom laughs quietly, remembering the road trip. The first time he'd seen Sonic fast asleep, it had felt like a miracle after an entire day with the super speed alien that never stopped talking or moving. Moments where Sonic loses enough energy to actually close his eyes and rest are one in a million. "Yeah, don't believe a word he says. He fell right asleep in the hotel room we stayed at for the night. I had to tuck him in."

The little guy had a rough night with the arrow incident and barely slept the night before that when Longclaw came through the portal on the field, Tom doesn't blame him for falling right asleep. This is just how he gets when he's tired, despite Sonic trying to tell them otherwise.

Tucking Sonic in is also something that Longclaw has experience with, except years ago when he was much smaller and if possible, an even more rapid fire ball of pure energy. She can understand the human's plight.

"You two have been through a lot together, haven't you?" Longclaw asks, her head tilting slightly to the side and studying the human intently, still trying to determine him a threat or not. He _seems_ trustworthy enough as Sonic tried to convince her, but Longclaw knows better. You don't know who to trust, so you can't trust _anyone,_ especially not with Sonic and his powers.

"More than you can imagine, but it's probably nothing compared to what you went through raising him," Tom says quietly, unsure if he should prod a little into Longclaw's past with Sonic. She might not like it but to his surprise, the owl chuckles lightly as she recalls her time with a much younger hedgehog.

"You can say that again. But even though he was a wingful, it was all worth it in the end. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat."

Tom can't bring himself to say anything in response to that. If Sonic's theory about time traveling through the portal is true, then maybe Longclaw _will_ have a chance to do it all over again once they get it all figured out.

Maddie can sense her husband's uneasiness. It isn't like she doesn't feel the same way about the whole situation.

Longclaw shifts uncomfortably, being careful at the same time not to wake the sleeping hedgehog. She looks longingly out the window behind the couch, and Maddie gets the gist of what she might be wanting.

"I can get you something to eat if you're hungry," she suggests. She has a good understanding of what owls normally eat, but maybe alien owls are different. She's sure she can find something that Longclaw would find appealing either way.

The owl answers without much hesitation. "I think I'd like to try stretching my wings a little."

She's ready to get away from the humans, at least for a while. She's been around them long enough and needs to make sure that Earth is as safe as Sonic tried telling her.

Her wing has only just been healed for some miraculous reason and Maddie doesn't want to argue. Still, she wants to make sure that Longclaw isn't going to hurt it again. "Alright...but may I make sure that your wing is healed enough to fly?"

Longclaw resists the urge to sigh in frustration. She doesn't know how or why, but her wing suddenly feels much better than it did when she came through the portal. These humans obviously mean well like Sonic tried to convince her, but she's _fine_. She doesn't want or need any help from them. She can't allow herself to become dependent on human help, but she decides to humor the human woman and nods gently. It might be a good idea to have someone watch her take off in case it ends horribly and she damages her wing again, which she doesn't want. She doesn't want to be around the humans any longer than she already has.

She locks her gaze onto the human man. "Will you tell him I'll be gone for a while to hunt?"

He nods, offering a small smile. "Of course. I'll stay with him until you come back."

"Thank you...Donut Lord." The name rolls off of her tongue awkwardly. She can't remember the humans introducing themselves properly when she first woke up, but that's what Sonic had called him. Better late than never, she supposes.

Donut Lord. What kind of a human name is that? She's not sure whether she should be embarrassed when the human himself chuckles quietly.

"It's actually Tom, short for Thomas. Donut Lord is just a nickname that Sonic came up with for me."

"What is a donut?" She can't even begin to imagine what a 'donut' is or how Sonic had come up with the name Donut Lord for him. It sounds like something that he's not too willing to share.

More secrets. More reasons for her not to trust these humans.

"It's a really good Earth food. Maybe you can try one sometime," he says, his smile growing at the thought.

She doesn't say yes or no to the offer, trying to imagine a donut and what it tastes like. They're probably not as good as her usual meals.

"Perhaps," she decides to settle with instead.

She doesn't plan on trying a 'donut' any more than she plans on staying on this planet with Sonic any longer than she has to.

xxxx

Longclaw stands with the human outside of their big nest, glad to be outside and able to breathe fresh air. 'Thomas' is keeping his promise by staying with Sonic inside so he won't be alone when he wakes up.

"Can I check your wing before take off?" the human woman asks, her eyes connecting with the owl's former bad wing.

Seeing as the human isn't going to leave but closely _supervise_ her take off instead, Longclaw sighs softly and obliges, stretching her wing all the way outward so Pretzel Lady can feel it to make sure it's ready for flight. Her touch is gentle and soothing, not that she'd ever admit it out loud.

"Amazing," she hears the human murmur to herself, but then she catches herself and looks back up at her. "I'm sorry. It's just amazing how fast it healed, like it was never broken at all."

Neither of them understand how yet, but Longclaw is just glad that her wing is already healed. The sooner she can leave with Sonic, the better.

All she wants to do for now is find food. Studying the human, Longclaw wonders if she also has a name.

First Donut Lord (Tom) and now her. If Thomas has a real name, then Pretzel Lady must have one, too.

"What is it?" she questions, genuinely curious.

The human woman tilts her head to the side, almost like Sonic used to do whenever he was curious about something himself.

"I'm sorry?" she says, not quite sure what the owl is asking her.

"Sonic told me your name is Pretzel Lady, but I'm assuming you also have a real name like Thomas?"

The corners of her mouth twitch upwards in a smile at the thought of the nickname that Sonic had given her.

"Maddie."

"...Maddie," she repeats, finding herself grateful for the human's help. "Thank you."

Her smile widens.

"Owls are mostly nocturnal on Earth. Make sure no one sees you," she advises, though not in a stern kind of way. She lets go of her wing and backs up to give her more space.

Longclaw nods in agreement. She doesn't quite understand the animals of Earth, especially not the golden four-legged one, but she'll listen to Maddie's advice, anyway. Just like she told Sonic to always stay hidden, she can't have anyone on Earth seeing her either, even if she might seem like a regular owl to other humans that don't know any better about where she came from. Raising the never ending ball of energy that was Sonic had kept her awake during the day more often than not so she doesn't exactly consider herself to be completely nocturnal, taking advantage of hunting at night once she finally managed to get little Sonic to go to sleep and also in the mornings before he would wake up.

Just as she's ready to bend down and take off, she realizes with a start that the golden armor she usually wears across her chest is missing. Sonic hadn't seemed to notice, but maybe because he was so young when he last saw her that he just doesn't remember.

Maybe she lost the armor on her way through the portal, somehow. She'd been pretty banged up after all, and it must have been banged up as well and fallen off.

No matter. She doesn't really need it, and it's probably best for her not to have anything weighing her down.

Maddie keeps a close eye on her wing as she takes off over the trees without looking back, refusing to go inside the house until Longclaw disappears from view in the distance over the treetops.

xxxx

Not that she would have told the human named Maddie, but her former bad wing is still a little sore, making it difficult to fly straight and fast over the trees. She was able to pinpoint a meal fairly quickly, locking onto the tiny mouse scurrying along the forest floor and completely unaware of its impending doom. She's never liked hunting small animals for food that remind her of Sonic, but her survival instinct has always overrode any guilt that she had about what she needs to eat for meals.

From what she's seen so far, Earth is big. It's very large, maybe even bigger than their home island. She can easily imagine Sonic loving this place as he grew up, especially with just how spacious it appears to be; there's certainly plenty of room to run.

One thing she's not too fond of are the cliffs and hillsides. What if little Sonic ran too fast and accidentally fell off one when she wasn't there to save him? She can't bring herself to think of the horrible possibilities that could have happened while she was stuck wherever she was. She still hasn't been able to figure that out. No matter how hard she tries to remember what happened after sending Sonic through the portal here to Earth, all she _can_ remember is blinking and then coming through yet another portal. How strange...

She shakes her head, focusing on the task at hand to get some food and following her soon-to-be meal above the forest top, growing continuously amazed with just how many trees and space there is. She can't help but wonder what it would have been like to raise Sonic here instead of on the island if she had managed to make it through the portal so long ago.

Her target suddenly finds a perfect hiding spot to get away from her, but she's not going to allow that. Diving quietly before the mouse can completely disappear from sight, she lands as gracefully as possible onto the forest floor.

The mouse enters through a small side hole, but she finds another hole big enough for her to fit through. Landing onto the hard ground and glad that the humans and Sonic aren't here to see her stumble clumsily into what looks like a cave, she finally has the mouse cornered where she wants it. The poor thing squeaks nervously, backing up as far as it can against the rock wall.

The mouse takes advantage of her distraction as she takes notice of a smell, escaping through the same hole that it entered the cave through.

To Longclaw's surprise, it's a _familiar_ smell.

She's not sure if Earth owls have a sense of smell as keen as hers, but the cave's scent is almost overwhelming, catapulting against her in strong waves.

Sonic.

His scent is recent and strong, all over the cave walls, but the cave itself is empty with not a living being in sight.

Breakfast forgotten, Longclaw takes time to inspect the cave the mouse had led her to.

He's apparently living with the humans now, but how long has he lived in this cave? Tom said a few weeks, but then Sonic had told her he was alone on Earth for ten years. How can she bring herself to trust the human like Sonic wants if he doesn't even tell her the truth? Why would he lie about something like that, anyway?

In her distraction, she quickly realizes that her meal must have escaped through the smaller hole, shaking her head in disappointment. If she doesn't have any success in catching mice on the way back, maybe she really will have to ask the humans for help.

The cave is more important. She focuses harder.

Sonic was proud that he'd built something for himself, a home to live in. He was happy to have a place to call his own, away from humans and hiding like she told him to do. He was content, at least for a time. The fear that comes next is surprising to her, distress that he was finally discovered and then hesitance; he didn't want to leave once he was discovered. There was hatred towards the Mushroom Planet, a world that Longclaw can clearly remember telling him about. It was one of the options in case humans found him, but going to a planet filled with mushrooms was the last thing he wanted to do, so he left the cave without using a ring. He went to the humans for help.

But if he was so confident the one named Thomas would help, why did the human man shoot him as Sonic described?

The strongest aura wraps around her, threatening to suffocate her and she has to take a few deep breaths.

Loneliness.

Sonic had been by himself for ten years. He'd shouted it right to her face, but now that she's seen it, she has a better understanding of what he meant and she _deserved_ to be yelled at.

He really had been alone all that time living by himself in this cave. He had blamed it on her and what she told him to do, because of the fear she'd put in his head.

Never stop running—never be discovered.

It was all her fault.

xxxx

Tom stays with Sonic just as he promised, taking his spot on the couch next to the hedgehog.

Sonic whimpers in his sleep, his body wiggling underneath the blanket and both feet kicking upward like he's running. It becomes clear to Tom that the poor guy must be having a nightmare, instantly scooting closer towards the distressed space creature.

"No, no...please don't make me go. I don't want to go!"

Tom reaches an arm forward to try and start waking him up, his words tearing across his heart.

"I can't leave you," Sonic cries, oblivious to Tom's attempt to get him to wake up. His feet seem to run faster under the blanket, causing a tangled mess. Recalling what the hedgehog had told him about the arrow and running back towards Longclaw but not being fast enough to save her, Tom takes a wild guess of what exactly he's having a nightmare about. "Please don't make me leave! I don't hate you, I didn't mean it..."

What does he mean by _hate_ you? It takes Tom by surprise. Sonic would never say something like that to Longclaw, would he?

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I wasn't fast enough—"

"Sonic!" Tom tries, a little louder this time. Sonic's ears twitch and he jolts awake, breathing rapidly in and out uncontrollably. His eyes widen as he glances around the room, searching wildly for someone who isn't there anymore.

"Longclaw? Where is she? W-what happened to her?!" he asks, the words tumbling from his mouth in a panicked rush so fast that Tom has trouble keeping up.

"Whoa, calm down, buddy. She just went outside to get some breakfast," he answers calmly so Sonic knows there's nothing to worry about.

Sonic blinks.

Oh. Breakfast. He already knows what that means, taking a deep breath to help calm himself down just like Maddie's yoga videos have shown him. He's never really liked the fact that Longclaw preys upon small animals like him, but she has to eat somehow. She's always been mindful about it, leaving their hut back on the island in the early morning or late hours so he'd never have to see.

Tom's cell phone rings again before either of them can say anything else. Hoping against all hope that it isn't Wade or someone else in town calling about the flashing lights, his hopes are shattered once Wade answers.

"Hey, Tom, um, there were some guys here and they were kind of nice, but not at the same time? They were nicer than the other two guys, anyway."

Sonic listens in carefully, his eyes widening in horror.

Great. Just when things seemed to start getting just the slightest bit better with Longclaw, just when it looked like they were finally starting to gain her trust...he knew it was too good to be true.

"They said they found something on the baseball field that tells them you're hiding another alien, and the flashing lights were proof that you still have the 'blue one.' Is it true? Are you hiding another alien that came from space or wherever?"

Tom pulls himself out of his shock the best that he can. The baseball field? What did he leave behind?! He'd made _sure_ that he left no clues that anyone had been there, but maybe he forgot something by accident. Longclaw is _not_ going to be happy about this. If anything, it's going to prove that she's right about humans and the government coming after Sonic no matter how many of his friends want to put his well-being first.

"Wade, you better not have told them anything. And I mean anything," Tom says as sternly as he can so Wade understands how _important_ it is. The one good thing about this is that Wade doesn't actually know he's still home with Sonic. For all anyone knows, he's all the way in Barbados with Rihanna.

But if anyone finds out about Longclaw, that would be it. She won't trust _anyone_ anymore than she already does, which isn't a whole lot of trust as it is. All the progress they've made with her, however little it is, will go right down the drain.

"Don't worry, I didn't," Wade reassures him. It's not exactly working. "I know how it goes. I tried to tell them I had no idea what they were talking about, that you would _never_ hide any aliens from them, but they wouldn't listen to me."

Tom's mind goes blank for a second, unable to fully comprehend what Wade just told him. He makes a mental note to get rid of his phone as soon as his call with Wade is over. Darn...his brand _new_ phone. He was hoping it would last a little longer, but the safety of both Sonic and Longclaw is much more important. He can't have the government tracking him.

"Good thing that Sonic is with you, though," Wade continues, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Not that he's an alien or anything. They said you have until tomorrow to respond or else they're going to do things the hard way this time."

Tom laughs nervously when he glances back at the other side of the couch. The other _empty_ side of the couch, confirming Tom's worst fear. "Yeah, good thing he's with me."

Except he isn't, probably running off to find Longclaw to make sure she's safe.

Now they're _both_ gone.


End file.
